Chemin du Retour Coeur
by Lumiere D'Amour
Summary: "I wanna go home...I just wanna go home..." She didn't know know how or why she was in Legaia. It didn't matter. Everything she held dear was back in her own world; dreams, friends, and family. Although she didn't want to, she forced herself upon a journey in order to find a way back. Despite Legaia's blessings, her heart had one wish, and was headed in only one direction:homeward.
1. Prologue

**Welcome, readers, to Homeward Heart! This is my first ever fanfiction-and yes, those who read it before, I redid my prologue (Again!)-but now I actually have chapters ready to post! I have time on my side again, now that the first trimester of school is over, and I have no more precalculus! At least until third trimester...then comes part two. (I HATE precalculus.) Anyhow, this is an original character fanfiction. And yes, I do actually have plans to get beyond the prologue this time around! I was brain-dead for quite awhile, began to reread everything, and decided I could do better with the prologue, so I rewrote it and reposted it for the third time. Anyhow, feel free to review and comment as you see fit afterwards. **_  
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**I do not own _Legend of Legaia_ or any of its characters, etc., etc., etc. I just own my character.  
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******This story is written and dedicated in loving memory of my two rats, Cheddar and Mozzarella. I miss you, baby girls, and I love you.**

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_God created the heavens, the earth, and the seas. After creating all things in the universe, God created humans to rule over this world. Yet while possessing the wisdom of God, humans were physically weaker than the wild beasts, and impulsive in spirit. Many times did the humans come close to dying out forever. Concerned about the humans' future, God gave them a mighty force with which to aid them._

_It was the Seru._

_Since the dawn of human memory, known as history, humans lived together with creatures known as Seru. The Seru lived together with humans, always obeying them, and making the humans many times stronger than before._

_When not worn by a human, a Seru looks much like a stone figure. However, upon touching a human, a Seru changes form and gives that human secret abilities. With a Seru, a human can lift objects heavier than itself and even fly in the air at will._

_However, that era came to an end._

_Appearing out of nowhere, the Mist covered the land, bringing to an end prosperous symbiosis between humans and Seru. After the thick Mist came, the Seru, who once obeyed humans, rebelled against them. The Seru began attacking humans at will. Seru that attached themselves to humans controlled their minds and turned them into evil beasts._

_As if forsaken by God, human civilization collapsed. It was the twilight of humanity._

_Those who escaped the mist inhabited the desolate areas and protected each other. Now their faint hope is their only source of inspiration._

* * *

A young whitetail buck was rubbing his short, newly grown antlers against a tree; bits of soft velvet fell from them as they made contact with the bark. He had an exceptionally healthy, well-fed body with few signs of starvation, despite the fact that spring had just arrived.

From a clump of bushes, gray eyes were stalking the deer, calculating. Another pair of brown eyes was surveying the scene from behind a tree trunk a few yards away. Brown and gray met at the same time, communicating. The first man held up his bow and took an arrow out of his quiver, stringing it. His companion followed suit.

The deer stopped rubbing his horns; he went completely rigid. The buck's ears twitched.

_No! Don't run! _The first hunter pulled back on his string.

The hunter took aim, going for the buck's eye. He couldn't afford to miss; food was scarce. _Rem, please let me make this catch, _the man prayed.

He tensed as the deer's eyes shot to his hiding place.

The arrow was released.

The buck bolted.

Two arrows whistled towards the creature's head.

And the animal fell.

Lowering his arrow and seeing the fallen deer, a look of disbelief crossed the hunter's face followed by a wide smile. "We caught it! Dai, we actually caught it!" Laughing, he slung his bow over his shoulders and let it rest upon his back and went out to inspect their catch. Two arrows were lodged in the animal's head, one from both hunters.

"I can't believe we actually managed to get it!" The other man came out from his place behind the tree. "I thought for sure that we'd lost it. That was a great shot, Juno! You got the deer right in the eye."

"It's thanks to Rem that we managed to bring it down. Your shot was pretty accurate, too, Dai. It's hard to say whose arrow killed it. But look at the size of this deer! It must weigh around two hundred pounds!" Juno attempted to lift it, but the deer was too heavy. "I can't lift this by myself."

"Two hundred? This early in spring?" Dai asked disbelievingly. Are you sure?" Juno motioned for the younger man to lift it for himself. Dai wasn't able to pick it up either. "Wow! That is heavy". Dai didn't bother to question it too much; the catch was indeed a blessing. "How many will this feed tonight, you think?"

"At least nearly a third of the villagers. If the others had as good of luck as we did, almost everyone should go to bed with a decent meal tonight."

Dai grinned happily. "Alright, let's get this deer outta here." He bent down to pick the creature up and Juno came over to help him carry it.

A sound in the distance made them both freeze.

It was the call of a hunting horn.

The joy of their catch was gone in a heartbeat.

"Back to the spring," Juno commanded quietly. "_Now."_ He dropped the deer without hesitation. He took his own hunting horn slung over his shoulder and blew-a signal to let the other hunters know that the two of them had received the warning. He began to walk away.

"But Juno! This is the best catch we've had in weeks! We can't just leave it," Dai protested. "The villagers need food."

Juno stopped and looked Dai straight in the eye. "We can't risk taking the deer back. It'll slow us down. We're low on food, but the villagers will survive another night. Making sure we get back alive is most important; if we die, the village will starve." With that, Juno turned and began running through the woods, unslinging his bow and stringing an arrow.

Dai quickly followed, also readying his own bow. They ran through the woods quickly, sticks snapping and bushes rustling. Their footsteps were heavy, scaring away any game. The sound of their pounding boots changed as they found their way back onto the wide dirt path, sprinting for about a mile before they came to a large clearing surrounded by trees and plants.

A perfectly round, manmade spring was filled with crystal clear water with a brick wall running around the edge-intended to keep animals from tainting the water. Nearby, blue liquid from the spring fell from the top of a simple, single tier fountain carved of stone. Pipes underground transferred the aqua from the spring to the fountain.

Juno stopped, and holding his weapon in one hand, slid his horn off his shoulder again and blew two short bursts to signal, _We're safe._

Three short calls answered Juno. _We're on our way._

Dai panted, "They shouldn't be more than a couple miles away then. I hope they get here soon."

"So do I," Juno said quietly. "We have to run the second they get here. We can't afford to have anything happen again like last time." There was a grim expression set in his face. There was only one reason the hunting horn was ever used; and it was rare when it was.

They stood in tense silence for a long while, keeping their bows ready to shoot, all the while listening. Juno began to pace anxiously. Dai was starting to get nervous-his palms began sweating, making it hard to grip his bow. His hair stood on end and goose bumps began to appear on his body. He went to sit on the edge of the wall surrounding the spring. He needed to relax; getting himself worked up would not help anything. The brown-haired youth took deep breaths to calm himself, forcing his muscles to relax. His grip on the weapon became stronger and steadier, and his senses became more alert.

A distant sound from the entrance of the spring made Dai jump. He pulled back on his bow string. Juno came to stand by Dai, his own weapon ready. "Juno! Dai!" a shout caught their attention. The hunters heard footsteps gradually growing louder. Eventually three men appeared, running and coming to the clearing. Like Juno and Dai, all three men carried bows and quivers full of arrows and wore leather armor.

Upon seeing them, both of the hunters lowered their bows. "Glad to see the three of you are safe," Dai said, relieved.

"Esto, how far is the Mist?" Juno asked.

One of the three men, the oldest of all five hunters, answered, "It's close. The winds are blowing quickly in this direction. We must leave _now."_

There was a sudden splash in the spring from behind the five men. They whirled. Each one held up his bow, an arrow ready. "What was that noise?" another man whispered.

"Be quiet, Jacob. No one speak," Esto commanded. His eyes connected with Juno's. Esto motioned his head towards the spring. Juno nodded. Together the two eldest hunters crept towards the pool of water. They both peered over the edge.

Juno quickly scanned the water. _There's nothing here. No animals or leaves, and definitely no Seru…_Juno glanced back up at Esto, and shook his head.

"Maybe we're just overreacting, then. Come, we need to leave," Esto said. He lowered his bow and turned towards the others.

Juno peered one more time in the water, before getting ready to walk away.

A brilliant white light suddenly glowed in the water. Esto quickly turned toward the pool, ready to fire. "Juno, get back!" Both of the hunters quickly increased their distance backwards towards the others, keeping their bows ready to fire. The light appeared to be taking shape, forming something. Within the light, a figure began to materialize. A second later, a head broke the surface of the water.

Juno's eyes gray eyes widened. _A woman! A human woman! _Esto, Dai and the others were just as surprised by the looks of it. She quickly swam to the side of the pool, grasping the brick wall. She pulled herself up so that she could rest her arms and head on the stone barrier while she caught her breath, her head facedown. A soaked black bag was slung on her left arm, its straps currently resting in the crook of her elbow. A strange device was in her right hand. A few seconds passed. The female pushed her head off the wall, and then ran a hand along the cold masonry slowly, as if examining it.

"What the…this isn't the dock. Where'd the stone come from?" The five hunters heard her talk aloud to herself. With one arm grasping the wall, she turned in the water to take in her surroundings.

She wasn't aware of the hunters; she gave a startled shriek when she saw them all pointing arrows towards her. The surprise caused her to let go of the wall for a minute and sink. The female sputtered water out as she reclaimed her grip and brought her head back up. "Where did you all come from?!"

Dai just shot back, "Where did _you _come from?"

The woman just quickly grasped the wall, hauled herself out of the water, and scrambled backwards, putting a good distance between herself and the five men. She shivered-the water must have been very cold due to the chilly spring temperature. The female was obviously unnerved. She quickly looked around and took in her surroundings. She turned around and then faced them again. "Where am I? I was not in the woods ten seconds ago!"

Each of the men glanced at Esto for directions. He did not lower his bow. "Who are you? How did you appear in the spring like that? Was it magic?" Esto demanded of her.

She just seemed bewildered. "_What? _Magic? Are you crazy?" After observing the five of them, she exclaimed, "Who_ are_ you? Why are you wearing…armor, and why do you have bows and arrows?!"

Juno supplied, "We're hunters. We wear armor to protect ourselves from Seru. Now, who are you?"

"And what are you wearing?" The hunter named Haddon asked. "We've never seen clothing like what you're wearing."

The woman's face became a bit frightened. "I'm wearing normal everyday clothes like all teens wear. And did you just say _Seru_?"

"Yes," Juno said.

The female began to look increasingly scared. "Okay…how…" She gestured around at her surroundings. "How…did this-this...this all happen? How am I here?"

"We were waiting for you to tell us," Esto explained. "None of us have ever seen someone suddenly appear out of nowhere."

She hesitated before speaking."…I…I was out on the dock on my grandparents' lake. I accidently dropped my cellphone… when I tried to catch it, I leaned forward too far and fell into the water. I was in the lake for maybe a minute. I got my phone before it sank, then came back up. But when I reached for the dock from under the water…I touched a stone wall instead…" The female told them all. She glanced around one more time.

"What's a 'cellphone'?" Jacob asked.

She gaped at him. "How do you know _not know_ what a cellphone is? Everyone knows what a cellphone is."

The hunters exchanged unsure glances between themselves.

Her voice was nervous when she asked, "Can you please tell me where I am?"

Dai answered, his face puzzled. "You're in Drake Kingdom." When she gave Dai a strange look, he continued, "In Legaia."

Her expression went from scared to disbelief. "_Excuse me_?" she whispered, her voice incredulous.

It was Jacob who replied, "He just said you're in Legaia. Where are you from?"

Seeing the look of utter confusion and incredulity upon her face, Esto decided she was not a threat and slowly lowered his bow. The other four men gradually followed suit.

Juno stepped towards her. "What's your name?"

The woman took a few steps back, keeping the distance between them. "I don't know if I should tell you that."

Jacob spoke hastily. "We need to go! The Mist is getting closer! If we don't leave in the next few minutes, we'll be caught up in it. We can't risk being attacked by Seru!"

"Jacob's right," Haddon said. "Esto, what do we do about her?"

Esto considered for a moment. "I suppose she should come with us." Speaking directly to her, Esto said, "If you stay out here, you'll die. Rim Elm is the only safe place from the Mist and Seru."

"Is this some kind of joke to you? Because I'm not finding it funny," she said. All five men gave her strange expressions. "Seru, Mist, Rim Elm, Drake Kingdom, Legaia…it's not funny."

"What are you talking about?" Haddon spoke

"Listen, we can figure everything out later. For now, you need to come with us," Esto told her.

The woman began to breathe a little heavily. She glanced around at the five men as if they were insane. "Okay…okay, I have no idea who you five are. I don't know why you're dressed the way you are, or why you have bows and arrows. I don't know why you're saying crazy crap about a video game…I don't know, and I don't want to." She began backing away, slowly. "My grandparents are probably worried, so I'm…I'm gonna go now. I guess I'll…see you around, w-whoever you are." Then she turned and made a panicked dash for the woods-in the direction the hunters had just come from.

Cries of "Stop!" and "Wait!" followed after her.

"She's going to get herself killed!" Haddon exclaimed.

Dai made to go after her, but Juno grabbed his arm. "Let me go, Juno!"

"Wait, Dai," Juno instructed. Keeping a grip on Dai, Juno turned to the senior hunter. "Esto, what do we do?"

"We can't just leave her. She's the first human outside of Rim Elm we've seen in over ten years," Jacob put in. "There may be other humans out there who've survived!"

Haddon protested. "We can't sacrifice the five of us just to save one life. The village is more important than her, and if go after her, we'll be killed.

Esto put his hands up. "Enough. Jacob, Dai, and Haddon. I want the three of you to head back to the village. No arguments. Juno, you come with me. We'll go after her. Understand?"

The four others nodded. Juno and Esto turned to run after the woman, while the other three reluctantly turned to go towards Rim Elm.

They separated. Juno and Esto ran into the woods. Not far ahead, thick tendrils of fog were curling around trees and plants in the woods. Esto said, "Juno, let's split up. We can cover more ground that way. If one of us needs help, we blow our horns."

Juno nodded.

Each man sprinted in a different direction. The white fog soon made Esto indiscernible. Juno was only able to see a short distance in all directions. The Mist was dense. Even the sun was hard to see through it. His footsteps echoed loudly throughout the forest, despite the fact that Juno was moving along stealthily. There were no sounds to cover his noises; the forest was eerily silent.

A sudden glow in the forest from in front of Juno alerted him. He ducked and rolled sideways, his bow in his hand. A flaming ball landed where he had just been. He heard the sound of something which seemed to be gliding. Just ahead, he could make out the figure of a strange creature.

_Seru! _Juno thought. He pulled back on the strung arrow.

_"A human."_ A malicious laugh sounded through Juno's head._ "I will make you suffer, then take your body for my own!"_

The creature flew at him, attempting to run him through with strange talons. Juno swerved to the side, then swung his bow at its head. A resounding smack echoed through the woods. Juno quickly launched an arrow at its head. The Seru went limp as the arrow penetrated its skull from the close distance. A few seconds later, its body disintegrated. The particles were carried away on the wind.

_One isn't a problem, but if those Seru gather all in one place…_He picked up the pace. After running for nearly ten minutes, he heard what sounded like crackling.

A high pitched scream followed.

Voices could also be heard.

_ "Kill her!" _

_"No! I wish to have this one."_

_"Why? She is weak. She is a worthless host."_

_It's her! _Juno ran. The Mist revealed three Theeders surrounding the woman, who had her back pressed against the base of a tree. Anytime she attempted to move, a twister of electricity was sent her way, forcing her back to her previous position. Immediately they sensed Juno's presence.

_"There's another human here," _one said, turning towards him.

Juno grabbed his horn and blew. _It doesn't look like she knows how to fight, _he thought grimly.

The Theeder raised its skinny arms. Juno shot a well-aimed arrow before it could release a bolt of lightning at him. Two more arrows followed, and the three figures burst into particles. "Are you alright?" He ran towards the young woman. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her breathing was rapid; she was terrified. "Come on, I'll get you back to Rim Elm."

Her eyes flew open and she tried to scramble away. Juno caught her wrist. "It's alright! Please believe me when I say I won't hurt you."

"I don't know what's going on!"

"It's alright. I'll get you to safety." He set his bow down. Juno blew two times into his horn, followed by one long breath. "As soon as we meet Esto at the spring, we'll leave."

Lightning bolts and fireballs came from nowhere. "_Get down!" _He rolled over her, protecting the female. A brief second of silence followed. "Run!" he told her. "To the spring!" Not questioning him, she got up and sprinted. Juno stood and shot a few arrows at the group of Seru before dashing after her. Juno barely managed to dodge the flames and electric bolts that were sent after him. He looked behind him to see several Theeders and Gimards. They were gaining quickly. _I can't face all of these alone! _Once more, he grabbed his horn and blew once-a frantic plea for help.

Juno saw the woman several yards ahead of him. She glanced back behind and saw him, along with the Seru. She shouted,** "****_Watch out!"_**

Juno felt a shock of pain go through his body. He just barely knew that he had been caught by an electrical shock. He cried out in anguish.

_"Kill him!"_

_"Kill the humans!" _The Seru cried.

The shocking stopped. Juno dropped to his knees and panted. He got up. He had to run. Pain such as he had never felt before passed through his body. The shocking had multiplied several times in intensity. He screamed. He lost his grip on his bow. Juno felt a searing jolt in his chest. He fell to the ground, clutching his chest. He felt his heart pulse furiously once…and then it stopped.

_Am I…dying?_

Darkness descended upon Juno.

* * *

**Okay readers, if you could please become my reviewers, I'd greatly appreciate it! If you have compliments, yay! They make me feel good. If you have constructive criticism, then that tells me how to improve! And if you're gonna tell me that my story downright sucked, then please say why. Otherwise there was absolutely no point in you reading and leaving a review and flaming me, and I'd hate for you to have wasted your time and effort! Feel free to point out any mistakes, errors, typos, etc. Au revoir, mes amis! (Yes, I like French, you'll come to notice it quite often!)**


	2. The Stranger

**Bonjour! Welcome to the official first chapter of ****_Homeward Heart! _****Ha! I TOLD you all I would get out! I told you! I actually managed to whip my butt into doing it! Go Hikari, go Hikari! Okay, anyway, I'm done now.**

**On a more serious note, I would like to remember the victims of the Friday Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. If you're willing, I'd appreciate it if my readers would say a small prayer in honor of them. I pray that the family members and friends whose loved ones were killed will come to heal, and that all of them will always know that the children and adults who were killed are still with them. I pray that all of the students and teachers who survived this incident will also heal, and that in time they will be able to move on without feeling angry and hateful, and without feeling guilty because they survived when others didn't. I pray that God bless them all and that He will shed his light and love upon these broken hearts.**

**Thank you everyone for reading my chapter, and for taking a second to think and pray for these people.**

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_The blue-haired boy was afraid. It was dark out. The sun had long since set. The moon was barely visible through the dense haze, let alone the stars. The Mist swirled around the child. He cried, holding a canteen close to his heart. The boy had hidden in a hole in the base of a tree trunk. He was barely able to fit through the narrow entrance. He hoped to stay safe from the Seru there. _

Mommy, I got Drake Water. You'll get better**! **_he cried in his mind. The child tried to stay quiet; he froze when he heard whispers._

"I sense a human,"_ a voice hissed. The boy heard a strange sound, like knives whistling through the air. _"Where are you hiding, little human? Come out, come out."_ The boy tightened into an even smaller ball. _"It does not matter where you hide…I will find you eventually."_ Something passed by the hole; the child saw it looked like a pair of talons floating in the air. The upper part of the figure could not be seen from his hiding place._

Is that…a Seru?_ the boy wondered. He felt his heart begin to pound almost painfully in his chest. The child feared that the Seru could hear it._

_The whistling sound stopped. Seconds passed in silence. _

"I found you."_ The tree the boy hid in was suddenly ablaze. Crying out in fear, he scrambled out the hole. A figure loomed over him._ _It was just as tall as adult. The Seru had a stick like spine that connected with two long, white talons at the bottom. Its black head was round and a white beak sprouted from its face. It seemed to float in the air, just a few inches above the ground. "_Bah. You're just a child. You will not do any good as a host."

_The boy scurried away, attempting to run. The Seru, however, quickly gained upon him. It glided swiftly in front of him, blocking his path. "I will burn you to death," it whispered. Its talons were suddenly beginning to burn. The boy backed up too quick; he tripped himself. The Seru raised its flaming talons. The child whimpered. The Seru brought its talons down. _

_An arrow was suddenly sticking out of its head. It dropped to the ground. The flames it had produced sputtered out._

_"Vahn!" a voice cried. _

_"Father!" the boy wailed. A man was racing towards him. The Seru, however, was not dead. It floated upwards. _

"You nearly hit my vulnerable point,"_ the Seru told them. _"But you missed. Just barely."_ It produced flames quicker than either the boy or his father could react. It threw the ball at the man. The man managed to evade it, though not completely. He dropped his bow. The wooden weapon was now ablaze._

"_Father!"_ _the child cried again._

"You would make an excellent host,"_ the Seru whispered at the man. _

_"I don't think so," the man snarled. "Get away from my son."_ _The Seru flew at the man, swifter than any human. The man drew out a knife. The Seru glided to the man's side nimbly, faster than the man anticipated. The Seru stabbed its beak into his arm. The man cried out. He spun, slashing downwards at the creature, attempting to slice its spine. The Seru floated backwards, avoiding the blade. It went forward again, and jabbed its talons at the man's legs. The man used the knife to block, the blade sliding upward inbetween and against the Seru's talons. The friction caused the man's weapon to stop near the base of the Seru's spine. The blade was locked inbetween the Seru's limbs. It pulled its talons back, along with the knife. The man's only weapon was jerked from his hand. It landed a few short feet away._

"Now you have no means of defense."_ The Seru stabbed downwards. The boy's father let out a howl of anguish. The child watched in horror. The Seru's talons were embedded in the man's right leg. The Seru tore its limbs free from the man's. The man fell forward to the ground, clutching his thigh. _"I will not kill you, human. I will take your body for my own. You are strong. Then, you and I will kill the child over there."

_"Get away from my father!" the boy yelled. The Seru turned to face the boy. _

"Oh? Do you wish to die before I possess your father, human?"_ It glided over to the child, and circled him. _"Shall I kill you first?"

_"Vahn, run! You have to run,"_ _the man panted heavily. _

_The boy shook his head. "No!"_

_The Seru cackled. _"This is why you humans die so easily. Always protecting one another. I think…I shall possess you first. It will be much more…enticing, to kill the child with a human's body."

_The creature returned to the man. The man had managed to roll onto his side, propping himself up on one arm. He was unable to get to his feet. He tried to reach for the knife. He rolled over onto his back to get closer, stretching his arm out towards the weapon. The Seru floated above the man. The creature then thrust its talons down at the man's neck. _

_A talon was in the ground on either side of the man's neck, effectively pinning him. The man struggled, but was unable to crawl away. "Vahn, go!"_ _the man shouted again. The man was unable to get to the knife._

"Now, you and I become one."_ The Seru's physical being seemed to dissolve. The man writhed and screamed. He could feel tendrils in his body, and the Seru continued to enter the man's being. _

_However, it all stopped a second later. He could feel the Seru's essence in his body withdrawing. The Seru completely disintegrated. The man just lay there, breathing heavily. His body was still his own. Standing there was the boy, the knife in his hand. He had tears trickling down his cheeks. He dropped the knife as if it burned. The child stood there, frozen. _

_The man realized what had happened. Struggling to kneel, he said, "Vahn. It's alright. You're safe now."_ _The boy ran to his father, and embraced him tightly. The boy sobbed. The man stroked his blue hair and held him close. "Come on…we need to get you back to the village. It'll be alright." The man fought to stand, but he gasped in shock. _

_Seeing his father hurt so badly caused the little boy to cry again. The child handed his father the canteen. "I'm sorry, Father! I just wanted to get some Drake Water for Mommy!" The man took the canteen. The Drake Water might be enough to give him the strength he needed to limp back to the village. "Will it help you, Father?" the boy whispered, looking at his father's leg._

_"Yes, Vahn. It will help me. We can take the rest back to your mother," the man said quietly. The father could not bring himself to tell his son just yet what had happened. He unscrewed the cap and drank a few small sips. Almost immediately the pain in his leg and arm dulled and he felt somewhat invigorated. He gave the canteen back to his son. "Hold on tight to it." He stood, and started to limp, but he fell, groaning. Even the Drake Water would not be enough it seemed. Looking around the woods, the man spotted a large tree limb, tall and thick. "Vahn, can you drag that branch over here?" he pointed. Nodding, the child went and pulled the branch over. _

_Grasping it, the father stood shakily, but nonetheless he stood. He took an experimental step forward with the makeshift crutch. It would be enough to help the man at least support his weight. The father did not know how bad the damage to his leg was. "Let's get you home…" They began the slow journey back. The man's renewed strength drained quickly. The throbbing in his leg and his arm became sharper. Eventually he was relying upon sheer willpower to make himself overcome the pain, to walk onwards. The man had to ensure his son made it home safe._

_All the while his father struggled, the boy watched with guilt. The pair managed to travel only half a mile or so before the boy saw his father finally fall. "Father? Father! Father, get up!"_ _the boy cried. His father didn't answer. The man's eyes were closed. The child shook his father's body and shouted, but the man did not get up. The boy eventually sat next to his father. Not knowing what to do, he cried. _This is all my fault…I just wanted to help Mommy…

* * *

Vahn Runin woke up abruptly. He sat up in bed, sweating. After a few minutes, the memory faded from his mind. _It was all my fault…_he shook the thought from his mind. He felt a familiar aching in his chest of guilt. Beside him, his little sister, Nene, slept on. _I'm surprised I didn't wake her up._ His expression softened. He gently stroked his sister's short, lavender-blue hair away from her face. Vahn shifted his gaze to see his father, Val, sleeping deeply in the bed just in front of his own.

Looking around, Vahn gazed at the familiar house. It was a small, circular, one roomed cottage with a dark wood floor. The diagonally paneled walls were light brown in color. A round wood table with five chairs stood in the center of the room. The bed he shared with his sister was pushed under a window, just across from the table. The headboard of Val's bed was just a few inches away from Vahn's footboard. Not far from the headboard of Vahn's bed was a gigantic wooden wardrobe. A few feet away from the wardrobe was a large brick stove. Directly across the room from Vahn was another window, along with a wood desk pushed under it. Between the desk and the stove stood a water barrel, filled with enough liquid for a few days' use. The front door was a few feet away from the footboard of Vahn's father's bed. And located between the desk and the front door was a wood bathtub, along with two wooden dividers. The two dividers were currently leaned against the wall, waiting for someone to use the tub.

Every other house in Rim Elm, save the Elders' house and the old two story cottage, were built exactly the same, and were furnished in a similar manner.

Getting up quietly, being careful not to wake his father or younger sister, he tiptoed to the gargantuan wardrobe, opening it. He took out a clean pair of gray denim pants and a white cotton shirt, along with his usual red vest with the flame emblem on the back. Vahn dressed behind one of the two wooden dividers he had quickly propped up, then threw his dirty sleeping clothes into the hamper. Vahn walked quietly out the door, closing it silently behind him. The young man sat on the steps and pulled on his worn, brown leather boots that he had grabbed on his way out. Pulling the cuffs of his denim trousers over the boots, the teenager stood and adjusted the brown band at his waist. Satisfied, Vahn stretched his lean, yet well-muscled frame before running his fingers through his short cerulean hair, pushing his longer bangs out of his brown eyes.

_I should go pray, _he thought. There was only one place in the village where Vahn went when he was troubled. _It's been a few weeks since I've last had that nightmare…_

Vahn strolled around the iron rail above the circular garden that stood in the center of the village, stopping at the house closest to the garden's entrance for a moment. He gazed at its window, then walked down the cobblestone ramp into the garden. Vahn came to stand in front of the holy bluish-green Genesis Tree. Closing his brown eyes, he stopped for a minute, letting the presence of the Genesis Tree soothe his mind.

The garden holding the Genesis Tree was the very heart of Rim Elm, surrounded on three sides by four story stone walls to the north, east, and west. To the south of the village, the ocean could be heard lapping gently against the shore. The unbendable walls extended over the beach and into the water, protecting the village from the demonic Mist and Seru.

Every morning Vahn woke up around the same time, and always he came down to the stone garden surrounding the Genesis Tree to pray. It was the only place where he could feel at peace. He began to pray. _Rem,_ _I hope to be able to hunt well on my first day tomorrow, and that no one's hurt by the Seru. Men are constantly coming back injured, and with only six men to do the hunting, we can't afford for anyone to get hurt. Please protect them and let come back safely and with a good catch. Unless we get a good hunt soon, the villagers will have to start rationing again. Rem, please let me receive a good catch tomorrow._

Tomorrow was to be Vahn's first hunt since he had just turned fourteen two days the age of fourteen, men were allowed to go outside the walls to hunt for food for the villagers. Women could choose to do so also, but most preferred to stay inside the safety of the walls and do the village chores, as well as to ensure the safety of the village's few children.

Hearing two pairs of footsteps coming down behind him, Vahn turned around to find the Village Elder and one of the village children. The Village Elder was an old man, with a thick white beard and eyebrows and a balding head, along with brown eyes. Wrinkles were etched into his tanned face, showing his age. He wore a light lilac hat upon his head and a robe of deep violet which lightened in color as it went to his feet, matching his hat. The robe of violet was hidden underneath an over robe of plain brown. The Elder's usual wooden walking staff was in his gnarled right hand.

The little girl-the Elder's granddaughter-had red eyes and blond pigtails, and was about six or so, dressed in a white sleeveless dress covered by a pale pink vest which both ended at her knees. She wore white socks and red mary-janes on her feet.

"Morning, Village Elder. Hi, Sade," he greeted politely, addressing the elderly man and his young granddaughter.

"Vahn, I knew you would be here," the old man spoke to Vahn, who nodded in reply. Switching his gaze from the teen to the holy tree, he said, "The mysterious Genesis Tree. This is a soothing place. You always liked this tree. Tomorrow you will become a hunter, an adult. Were you praying for a successful hunt?"

"Partly, yes."

"Ah. Perhaps you're also praying for the safe return of the hunters who are out now?"

"Yeah. I was just hoping that they got a good catch and none of them got hurt. I hope I can make a decent catch tomorrow, too. We've been running low on food lately."

"That is good. Then I, too, will pray for your success. Vahn, I thought I would come here to cheer you up. But I guess that wasn't necessary. You will be a fine hunter!" he reassured the bluehead. "I am counting on you, from the bottom of my heart." And with that, the Village Elder left Vahn standing by the tree with young Sade, who was staring at it in curiosity.

_I only hope I don't fail, _Vahn thought after hearing the Elder's last words. Praying by the tree for a few moments longer, Vahn started back up the stone slope. On his way out, the door to the house he had stopped by earlier opened.

A tanned young woman a bit taller than Vahn came out, locking the door behind her. The woman had a red hairband in her thigh length emerald hair. Short bangs reached her eyebrows, which brought attention to her warm green eyes. She was dressed in a white cotton shirt that was tucked into a brown waistband and covered by a short sleeved shirt of sky blue. A magenta skirt that extended to the ground was partially hidden by a shorter red overskirt. She wore no jewelry save for a white pearl necklace on a slightly thick chain.

"Morning, Mei," he called.

"Vahn! I was just looking for you." Seeing him come up from the garden, she stated, "So you were praying at the Genesis Tree." Vahn nodded. She came over to him and continued, "It's about the hunting clothes for you to wear tomorrow."

Knowing that it would irk her, he said, "What hunting clothes?"

Mei put her hands on her hips and said indignantly, "You're terrible! I can't believe you forgot." She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "After all the trouble I went through to make them for you to wear hunting tomorrow."

Seeing her expression made Vahn laugh. "I was just joking."

"That's a mean joke! I was really angry for a minute there." She uncrossed her arms and turned back to him. "Anyway…"

"Is something wrong with them, Mei?" he asked, being serious now.

"I'm almost finished, but I have to check some of the measurements. So can I measure you one more time?"

"Sure, go ahead," he replied. _I'll be glad when they're done. I appreciate her making me armor, but I'm tired of her bugging me, too._

"Thanks. Vahn, you're so kind. I'll be at your house waiting for you, so don't be too late." Mei gave him one last smile before turning to leave for his cottage. After she left him, Vahn headed around the garden and to the beach. He put a hand up to shade his eyes as he climbed down the stone steps overlooking the ocean.

Finding who he had been searching for, Vahn walked over to a man. The man was dressed in clothes unlike that of the other villagers. The man wore loose maroon pants and a sleeveless tunic of the same color that crossed over the center, which was held in place by a knotted brown sash. Stitched onto the tunic was a symbol that Vahn was unfamiliar with. His head was shaved bald save for a small section of dark, red hair pulled into a strict bun in the center of the back of his head. Simple cloth sandals were upon his feet. He was well built and very muscled. He stood up from a meditating position and looked straight at Vahn with brown eyes.

The man was a monk of Biron, and Vahn's teacher. "Greetings, Vahn."

"Hi, Tetsu." Vahn bowed to him, in the way that he had been taught to when addressing Biron masters.

The monk studied Vahn for a few moments before nodding his head. "You were a child when the Mist appeared, Vahn, but now you are ready for the hunt. Time goes by so quickly. I have taught you the techniques of Biron all your life. Do not forget them while hunting outside the village. Now, then…Vahn, do you want something?"

"Yeah. I'd like to practice with you."

"I see. Before we practice, take this." Vahn was handed a small pack of herbs. Vahn took the bag of herbs and examined them. "Tetsu, what are these leaves? I know they're used in healing, but I don't remember a lot about them." Vahn took one out to better look at it.

"Vahn, you are going on the hunt tomorrow and yet you do not remember what the villagers have taught you about healing leaves?" Tetsu gave Vahn a look of skepticism, and after a moment just sighed. "If you mash them up into a pulp and place them onto an injury, their juices will help to ease pain and prevent infection. It helps wounds to heal a little faster and can bring down swelling. I have no doubt they will be helpful on your hunt if something should happen, so be sure to commit their shape and feel to memory. Now, put the leaves away." Vahn put the leaves bag into the pack and tucked the pouch into his waistband.

"Now you are ready. Come at me," he instructed, beckoning to Vahn.

His student analyzed Tetsu's fighting stance, looking for the best possible opening. Then Vahn charged, aiming a high kick at the left side of the monk's head with this right foot. Vahn put the full force of his leg into it. Tetsu was ready, swiftly putting his left arm up at a slightly slanted angle, blocking Vahn's attack. He then spun his arm around so that it circled Vahn's ankle, locking it in a tight grip.

Vahn responded by letting himself drop to the ground on his back. His weight dragged the monk down with him, and as Tetsu fell forwards, Vahn aimed a kick at the man's abdomen with his other leg. The force of the blow caused Tetsu to release Vahn's ankle. Vahn grabbed Tetsu's shoulders and with his foot still in contact with Tetsu's stomach, flipped the monk over his body. Tetsu landed heavily on his back, his head near Vahn's. The bluehead quickly got up and turned around, ready to put the finishing combo on the Biron master.

Tetsu, however, quickly swept his student's feet out from under him. Vahn took a face-forward fall. Tetsu quickly straddled Vahn's back and twisted the teen's left arm. Tetsu held a knife-hand at Vahn's throat. Vahn realized that if this had been a real fight, and if the enemy had possessed a blade of some sort, his throat could well be slit now.

_That ended up going wrong, _Vahn thought to himself while struggling to breathe. Tetsu was much heavier than he was. Tetsu realeased the bluehead's arm and got off. Vahn stood, flexing his left arm.

"You must be quicker next time to get out of the way of your enemy. Now, try your Somersault technique on me." Vahn got up and dusted the sand off his clothes before sliding back into his fighting stance. Tetsu was also back in his stance. Vahn charged straight at him, pushing his feet straight into the ground and bending his knees, flipping backwards in the air. As he rotated in the air, both feet came into contact with the monk's jaw, snapping his head backwards. Vahn tried to keep the force of his impact down so that he wouldn't injure his teacher too much. Landing in a kneeling position, Vahn stood up. Tetsu was on his back, rubbing his jaw. "Very good, Vahn. That was almost perfect. And you did well in keeping the amount of damage to a minimum." Vahn could see his teacher's jaw start to swell, knowing that it would bruise later. It would be sore for a few days at most. Seeing his teacher get up and ready his stance, Vahn shifted back into his own position and continued to spar with Tetsu.

* * *

"Good, that is enough practice for today." Vahn stood there panting after nearly half an hour of training with the monk. Sweat ran down his forehead as he stood with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. His teacher, however, barely seemed to be hot. "You did well. Go and rest. We would not want you to be tired on your first day as a hunter."

"No, that probably wouldn't help much," Vahn commented. "Tetsu, is there anything else you could tell me that could help me with fighting?"

"No. There is no shortcut to success in battle. Constant training is the only way."

"I see." Tired, Vahn sat down on the sand. Tetsu stood by him. He and his teacher stared at the ocean waves for a few minutes in silence. "Tetsu, you've taught me a lot about Biron's teachings, but now that I think about it, you've never told me where you learned about Biron, or where you learned to fight," Vahn said, interrupting the quiet.

Tetsu was silent for a moment before speaking. "Outside Rim Elm is a temple devoted to Biron. There, many warrior-monks devoted to Biron practice night and day. They renounced the world's dependence on Seru and worked to polish their fighting skills. Many Biron warrior-monks also traveled the globe to spread the noble teachings of Biron, who is a god of strength and love."

"Like you, when you came to Rim Elm?"

Tetsu nodded. "When visiting Rim Elm, I was trapped here by the Mist. But I am still a faithful Biron! I feel it is my destiny to teach the young the teachings and fighting skills of Biron."

"Are you going to teach the other kids soon?"

"Soon, yes. I believe that they are at an age where they would be able to start understanding and hopefully appreciate the teachings. I just do not know if they will pay as much attention as I like." Vahn laughed. "Hopefully they will take after you in the fact that you dedicated yourself to practicing." Tetsu put his hand on Vahn's shoulder. "Tomorrow you leave for the outside world, where many Seru lurk. Do not be overconfident!"

"Thanks, Tetsu, I won't. I'll see you later." Getting up and bowing to his teacher, Vahn walked over to the stone steps on the left side of the shore. _Maybe I should go talk to the elders. Might be a good idea to get some more information before I go hunting tomorrow. I could probably ask some of the other villagers too about their experiences with the Mist and Seru. I need to learn everything I can so I don't get hurt. _Decided, Vahn made his way to the Elders' house.

* * *

Vahn was making his way back to his house after having spent the last two hours or so going around learning what he could and receiving advice from most of the villagers. Going to the door and stretching his sore body, he wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a short nap before Nene served lunch. It was only eleven in the morning, so he had time to kill. However, upon hearing voices inside, he decided to stop and listen for a moment.

"It's getting late. What could he be doing?" He heard his little sister's voice.

"I'm sorry Mei. That Vahn-I wonder where he's wandering around," Val added.

"It's alright." He smiled slightly at the sound of Mei. "My father hasn't come back from hunting today yet, anyway."

"I should be the one making hunting clothes for my brother," his sister said.

"Don't worry about it, Nene. I just wanted to help celebrate this special day for Vahn."

"Um, Mei, can I ask you something?" he heard Nene ask tentatively.

"What is it?"

He couldn't hear what Nene asked though, as she had lowered her voice. Deciding he'd heard enough, he opened the door and went inside.

Vahn saw his father sat at the desk, reading a book. Val was now dressed in a pair of light green trousers, a white cotton shirt, and a light brown vest. Val's brunette hair was short, although it was slightly longer than that of the other male villagers. Val's small goatee had been freshly trimmed. However, Val's right leg was a bit strange looking compared to his other leg. The leg was set at a slightly twisted angle towards the right, though not severely. Val's white cane was leaned against the desk. Vahn quickly looked away in guilt, remembering his earlier dream.

"Ah-ha! I knew it!" his sister exclaimed, turning to him the moment he shut the door. Going over to her, he looked down at her. The upper part of her short, bluish-lavender hair was now tied back with a pink ribbon. She wore a matching floor length skirt held in place with a red waistband and short sleeved white shirt under a red vest. Her eyes, close to the same color as her hair, scolded Vahn from under short bangs.

"What took you so long? Mei has been waiting for you this whole time! You're always wandering around with your head in the clouds." Nene turned to Mei. "Let's hurry up and take those measurements!"

Vahn noticed that Mei's face was a shade of blushing scarlet when she turned around to face him. _What's Mei so embarrassed about?_ Backing up to give her space, Mei came over with her measuring tape.

Feeling him fidget a bit, she said, "Hold still, Vahn. I'll only take a minute." She measured the width of his chest and the height of his left side. "I knew it! You've gotten bigger since the last time I measured you. You're almost as big as my father-maybe bigger! It's amazing how quickly boys grow." Vahn rolled his eyes. _Girls exaggerate a lot. I probably got a little bigger in the last week or so, but I'm not anywhere near as wide as Juno._

Taking one last measurement, she told him, "Alright, I'm done. Thank you, Vahn." She went to his father and sister. "Mr. Val, little Nene, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Val looked up from the book he was reading. "Thank you, Mei. Give my regards to Juno when he returns from the hunt."

Mei nodded. "I will." She gathered her materials and headed towards the door.

"Hey, thanks. I do appreciate you making my armor," he told her seriously.

Hearing him say that made her smile warmly at him. "You're welcome, Vahn." Then she opened the door and left.

Nene had gone to cook at the stove, starting to prepare lunch. Vahn went up beside her to see what she was cooking. "Did you thank Mei properly?" she asked her brother.

Vahn smiled and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Nene."

"Well, I didn't hear anything." Vahn always thought that it was funny that his little sister, who was only nine, five years younger than him, was always trying to lecture him. _She's always lecturing me. You'd think she was an adult by how often she does it. _Knowing it would annoy her, he went and gently pulled on one of the ends of Nene's ribbon, loosening it slightly.

"Don't do that," Nene told him, smacking his hand lightly with the wooden spoon she was holding. "Now you messed up my ribbon." She put the spoon down to fix it. "I hate it when you do that."

"Which is why I do it," Vahn chuckled.

* * *

About four or so, there was a loud noise as the giant metal doors on the north wall of the village squeaked open. _It must be the hunters, _Vahn thought, standing up from the garden. Nene and Val also glanced up from the vegetables that they had been planting, both of them still kneeling. Val struggled to stand, putting the weight on his white walking stick. Nene helped him to rise before brushing the soil off her hands.

"The hunters have returned!" the village guard who kept watch over the gate shouted.

"The hunters are late today," Val noted. "They're usually back earlier than this." A frown etched itself on the man's face. "The winds have been acting weird today. I hope nothing happened….Vahn, would you go see if everything's alright?"

Val's son nodded. "Sure. I'll be back in a bit and let you know if anything happened." For some reason, an uneasy feeling entered Vahn's mind as he started the walk towards the gates. _Something doesn't feel right. Rem, please let nothing bad have happened. _He silently sent a small prayer up to the god as he went to join the small group of villagers in front of the gates.

"By golly, they were gone a long time." One of the two female elders, Hisa, spoke.

A little boy ran forward, shouting, "Father! My father's back!" Running up to the hunter Jacob, he hugged the man tightly. "Welcome back, Father. Did you catch anything?" he asked eagerly.

"No, Lyle. Not today," Jacob sighed.

Two more hunters followed after the first, carrying another man on a stretcher. _Juno! _Vahn thought in alarm. For a moment, he thought that the man was dead. But after a few seconds, he saw the rise and fall of Juno's chest, and knew he was alive. For some odd reason, Juno's leather armor had been slashed open on the front, now resembling a vest. Juno's breathes also seemed slightly irregular. Vahn went over to get a closer look. The two hunters gently set the stretcher upon the ground.

Hisa came over to inspect the man. "Is that…is that…it is! It's Juno!" she exclaimed. "What on earth happened? He looks hurt!" The villagers looked up as one last hunter came through the gates. But it was the person that he was carrying in his arms that caused all of the villagers to stare. The lead hunter, Esto, was carrying a short woman through the gates. Vahn gaped, his eyes widening in amazement as she was set down on her feet.

The second her feet touched the ground, she let herself plop down. The stranger was breathless and panting hard. The female had an odd contraption in her hand, which she set down by her side. Sliding a small black pack off her shoulders, she drew the bag open and pulled out a vividly green container. She put the container to her lips and began to rapidly down the liquid inside.

_A stranger?! How did she get through the Mist? _Vahn's mind reeled at this rare phenomenon, trying to process it. He wasn't the only one to react in complete shock; many of the villagers wore astonished looks on their faces. However, Vahn's shock became bewildermentas he gazed at the woman and his eyes narrowed as he took her in. An unusual feeling of nostalgia filled him. _I know I've never seen her before, but…she seems… familiar…_Vahn didn't understand the sudden familiarity he felt. _It's almost like I've met her somewhere before, but I haven't. How's that possible? _

However, no one else seemed to be having the same feeling of recognition like he was. Instead, the villagers were busy examining the newcomer and her unusual appearance; it was obvious by the way she looked and dressed that she wasn't from Drake Kingdom.

She had brunette hair that was pulled back into a strange braid, reaching to her waist. Two chin length bangs were parted on the left side of her hair, framing her face. She was very short and fair compared to the tanned villagers. She wore a short, red sleeved shirt covered by a black collared vest. Her vest was partially open, revealing a silver locket. The woman wore strangely patterned denim pants and odd shoes. A black belt was looped at a slanted angle around her hips. A black shirt was tied around her lower waist. Silver hoops hung from her ears, and bracelets circled her wrists; a gold one on her right and on her left, a pink one along with a strange looking device strapped to her wrist. The woman's fingernails were red with dashes of silver on them.

The people of Rim Elm took a long time taking in her appearance; unlike the women of Rim Elm, her clothes were rather tight-fitting, shaping her body, and she wore more jewelry than any female villager. She was also soaked. The stranger was shivering, rubbing her arms, and her hair stuck to her forehead.

"Father, who is she?" The little boy tugged at his father's pant leg in curiosity. "Is she a stranger?"

One village woman whispered to another, "It's been ten years since anyone else was seen outside! How did she come to be here, and through the Mist?"

The gates were finally shut and the guard asked, "Esto, what on earth happened?! You're back so early. What happened to Juno? Is he alright? And who's she?" He gestured towards the young woman.

Just then the Village Elder came into the center. "What has happened here? Esto, you and the men are back very early! Did something happen?" Noticing Juno, the Elder went over to the stretcher and quickly examined him. "What happened? Is Juno alright?" he demanded sharply. Everyone's attention shifted from the stranger back to Juno. The Elder did not notice the woman.

Everyone turned as Mei came rushing over, a wide smile on her face to greet her father. "Father!" It was then she noticed the man on the stretcher. Her eyes grew wide with fear, and her heart started to race. "Father?" She ran to the stretcher and knelt next to it, grabbing her father's hand. Her fear was less prominent when Mei saw her father breathing. Vahn went over to her and settled himself by her, offering his support. "What happened? Is Father alright?" she asked, her voice panicked. She glanced between Esto and the Elder.

"…I cannot say for sure," Esto answered.

"Esto, please tell us what happened," the Elder instructed. Everyone, including Mei, turned their attention to the hunter.

"_We_ came back early because the _Mist_ came much earlier than usual," Esto started. "We abandoned our game and fled. Haddon, Jacob and I met Juno and Dai at the spring. When we got there, this girl randomly appeared in the spring." He glanced at the young woman. That was when the Elder finally took notice of the outsider, and his eyes widened.

Esto continued. "We confronted her, and she said a lot of…_unusual _things. She ran off into the woods, just as the Mist and Seru got very close to us. Seeing as she's the first person we've seen in ten years...Juno and I decided to go after her and make sure she did not get killed. We sent the other three back to the village, although," and here Esto glared at them, "they did not listen to me.

"But, perhaps it is a good thing they did not. Juno found the girl, and I heard Juno's horn. The others heard the horn as well. I went in his direction. When I found them, the girl was trying to drag Juno to the spring. When I checked on Juno, I thought he was dead. His heart was not beating. Haddon, Jacob and Dai came to aid me, and together we fended off the Seru. During this time, she-" he glanced at the girl, "-she did something to Juno's chest. I do not know what, but his heart was beating again after several minutes and he was breathing by the time we got rid of the Seru. I carried Juno back to the Spring, where we quickly gave Juno Drake Water. After that, we quickly made a stretcher for Juno, and then came back here."

Mei whispered then, "My father almost…_died_?" Esto nodded. Mei glanced from the unconscious Juno to the outsider, who was still gathering her breath. "She saved his life?" Mei asked.

"Yes," Esto answered.

Vahn gazed at the woman, then back to Juno and said softly, "But his heart stopped…Juno should be dead. Is it even possible for a heart to start again?"

"…Course it is," a voice replied. The woman had made her way over towards them. Her pack was now over her shoulders again, and the gadget she had been holding had been shoved into a pocket, judging by the bulge in her pants. She was now examining Juno with blue eyes. "He suffered from electrocution. His heart stopped. I tried a cardiopulmonary thump and then performed CPR. It's a miracle that his heart managed to restart without an AED. It's possible, but extremely rare when CPR alone works to restart a heart. Especially since this is my first time ever doing it. This guy needs to get to a hospital. Do you have a phone somewhere to call an ambulance?" she asked the Elder. "My cellphone isn't working."

Upon seeing Mei, her blue eyes glanced the young woman up and down, finally coming to rest on her green hair. The stranger gazed at the emerald haired girl for several seconds, before returning her attention to Juno. The Elder just gazed at the brunette, confusion written on his face. Mei was looking at her likewise. After a few seconds, she just snapped angrily, "Listen to me! He needs paramedics and a doctor! His heart may be beating, but I don't know how bad his breathing and heartbeat are. And I know for sure that he's got some broken ribs from CPR. He needs to go to a hospital. Do you have a phone I can use?"

"We do not know what a phone is. And what is this CPR you speak of?" The Elder said.

"_Enough," _she growled. "I'm sick and tired of the joke! You tell me you have no idea what a phone is. 'What's CPR'! Not knowing how to do it, I can believe. But everyone I know knows what it's supposed to do and when to use it!" she hissed quietly. "I didn't save his life for him to die due to other peoples' selfishness. And he _will _die unless he's given prompt medical attention."

During this entire time, Hisa had been on Juno's right side, near Vahn and Mei, examining Juno. "Amon, he does not appear as though he will die," she addressed the Elder. "Juno's pulse is a bit unsteady and his breathing is irregular, but his heart has resumed a rather normal pattern. Specific herbs should help to completely heal him and settle any abnormalities. As for broken ribs, those will heal in time. I do not think you need worry, Mei," she now told the emerald-haired teen. Mei's green eyes turned hopeful and began to shed tears of relief.

_Thank Rem, _Vahn thought. He released a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

The stranger just looked at the female elder. _"What? _That's not possible. Even if his heart is beating again, he needs something to stabilize blood flow and pressure. I don't have any ideas on what medicines medics use. And he probably still needs a defibrillator, to shock his heart into the correct pattern." Hisa looked at the girl, an odd expression upon the elder's face.

"Move," the outsider said. She gently pushed the Village Elder aside and felt for Juno's pulse and put her ear upon his chest. The brunette listened intently for a moment, before her eyes stretched open. "But…_how?" _her voice was stunned. "He hasn't been shocked by an AED, or-or given any medicines…" she trailed off. She stood up from her position from over Juno, seeming bewildered. A sudden epiphany hit her. The woman whirled to face Esto. "That water…what was in it? You gave it to him, shortly after I revived him."

"Drake Water has special properties. We do not exactly what it has in it, but it does have some very unique qualities. Scientists at Drake Castle were attempting to study it before the Mist came," the Village Elder said, answering for Esto.

The woman blinked, uncertain, but then continued on, "Okay, so his heart and breathing seem normal. He _still _needs to go to a hospital! He may have suffered brain damage!"

"What is a hospital?" Hisa inquired, done examining Juno. "You keep mentioning that word. But I have never heard of such a thing."

The stranger just stared at Hisa, outraged. "A _hospital. An infirmary to tend to sick and injured people_."

Vahn ogled at her, uncertain. Most of the villagers were sharing his same expression. "What's an…AED? And CPR?" Vahn couldn't help but blurt out.

The woman rounded on him. This was the first time she was giving Vahn any real notice. When he had her full attention, the stranger took him in up and down as she had Mei. "Are you doing some kind of cosplay or something?" She began circling slowly, taking in everyone's appearances and the surroundings around her.

The Village Elder was beginning to grow uneasy, based upon his expression. Immediately the Elder stood and directed, "Haddon, Dai, please take Juno back to his house. Hisa, if you and Rei would please go and see to it that Juno is alright, and examine him thoroughly. Make sure to give him any herbs you think he needs. After that, he will need to rest."

Hisa nodded. Dai and Haddon, who had been bearing the litter originally, lifted it once more. Mei stood up and Vahn stood with her. "Mei, do you want me to come with you?" the bluehead offered.

Mei shook her head. "Thank you, Vahn, but I would like to be alone with my father when he wakes up. I hope he'll be alright…" Dai and Haddon carried the litter towards Mei's home. Mei went with them, holding Juno's hand, followed by an orange-haired woman and Hisa. They had barely gone more than a few feet when Mei stopped suddenly. The teen rotated around. The girl released her father's hand and went up to the stranger, placing her hand upon the woman's arm. The brunette outsider jerked away from the sudden contact and whirled around to face Mei. "Thank you, for saving my father's life." The warm gratitude in the teen's voice caught the stranger unawares.

The woman's face softened from its angry and bewildered expression to one of wariness. "You're…you're welcome."

Mei smiled graciously at the brunette despite the tears still trailing from her green eyes, before then walking back to Juno and taking his hand again. The procession back to Mei's home began again. Once they were out of sight, the villager's observations were again claimed by the outsider. She seemed extremely uncomfortable from the stares she received.

Vahn gave the woman a hard, analyzing gaze. His intensive observance drew her attention yet again. Blue eyes met with brown. Their gazes were locked; a tense second passed, and then she turned her head away. _I'm almost…certain, that I know her. I don't know why. Rem, why does she seem so familiar? I've never seen her until today, let alone met her. I don't even know her name._

The Elder turned towards the rest of the villagers and spoke loudly, "Everyone, I realize that all of you are concerned about Juno's wellfare. But I need all of you to please go back to what it was you were doing before the commotion. Until Rei and Hisa are finished examining Juno, I cannot say exactly what his condition is." The old man cleared his throat. "Also, I realize that you all are most likely curious about the newcomer, but I must ask that you let her be until she and I have spoken. That is all." His dismissal was clear. Everyone began to disperse.

The Elder came up to her and gave the woman a very hard, analyzing gaze. "I believe it necessary that you and I speak. Please, would you be willing to come with me?" His tone was one of cordiality, not of demand.

The stranger hesitated, then nodded. Vahn watched the Elder lead the stranger away towards the Elders' house.

Vahn just shook his head. His thoughts were jumbled because of this outsider's sudden appearance. _Rem, just what is going on?_ Vahn decided to head home and think about it later.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my story. Would you also be willing to take the time to review? Pretty please? It's Christmas after all! If you wanna compliment me, that's nice. If you wanna critique me and tell me how to improve, awesome! And you just wanna tell me the chapter sucked uberly...well, at least be nice and say why. I don't care if you bash me so long as I get a reason why. Otherwise there really was no point in leaving a review, right? ;) Merci, everyone. And just in case I don't get another chapter out before the 25th, I just wanna say; Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! God Bless everyone!**


	3. No Clue

**Bonjour! Welcome to chapter two of ****_Homeward Heart! _****As you can see, it took me forever to get it out, but here it is nonetheless. Time keeps getting away from me-it's the one thing I never have enough of. No doubt others-especially fellow writers-can relate. I need to have time frozen for awhile. Anyhow, as usual, please do inform me of any typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or things I can improve upon. Hikari's always open to criticisms! :D **

**Anyway, a quick note. You'll finally get to know my character's name! Seeing as it's an unusual name, I figured I better leave a pronunciation note for it. You'll find it the end of the chapter! Anyhow, go read! Quit standing here gawking at the fact I actually got my second chapter out! Go read, review, and-hopefully-favorite/follow! :D **

**I don't own ****_Legend of Legaia. _**

* * *

"I believe it necessary that you and I speak. You seem like you could use some dry clothing as well. Please, would you be willing to come with me?" The old man's voice asked her.

The stranger was hesitant. _Going off with a stranger probably isn't a good idea…then again, I'm already surrounded by a bunch of maniacal weirdos. But maybe he can lead me to a phone. I still need get that guy to a hospital. Man, just what the heck happened?_

Finally, she nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the kid dressed up like Vahn still watching her. _Go away, already! _Looking at the supposed Village Elder, he gestured for her to follow him. She began to walk after him. She shivered in her soaked clothing. It couldn't have possibly been more than fifty or so degrees when she'd fallen into the lake. The temperature had no doubt dropped within the last hour. Matching her pace with the old man's, she surveyed her surroundings as they walked.

Many of the houses were convincing replicas of circular one-roomed cottages, similar to ones built in medieval times. They had stone bricks and thatched roofs even. Each of the little cottages looked exactly the same, save for one rectangular, two-story home located next to a hill. It was more modern looking than the other shelters. Outside each house was a garden. Every single patch of earth was filled with tiny seedlings that were beginning to grow now that April had arrived. However, the stranger saw things she had not expected, such as cows, horses, chickens, and other animals kept in pens next to small shelters.

However, the wall was the one thing that intrigued her and intimidated her the most. _They're doing one heck of a reenactment, aren't they? Probably made of cheap alabaster. It'd be too much work to carve something that big of really hard stone. And that gate looked pretty convincing too. Why are they putting so much effort into a reenactment of a game that's barely known? I never would've thought that there were enough _Legend of Legaia_ enthusiasts in the U.S. who were all serious enough to create a cosplay. And where'd they get the costumes and everything? Did they make them?_

Everything as of the moment seemed more or less like a surreal dream. The stranger felt numb, unable to completely comprehend everything that had happened earlier. She hadn't the slightest idea what had happened by the-supposed-Hunter's Spring. The woman had felt uneasy and afraid around the men, then panic when having been almost electrocuted by the Theeder replications. _Probably mechanical would be my bet. _Panic had been her utmost reaction after seeing the one man earlier get electrocuted. _I guess the replicas malfunctioned or something? I don't know._

Shivering again, the woman rubbed her arms rapidly, trying to warm herself up. She trailed after the man up the hill behind the two story house. Eventually they came to a building that looked like two cottages connected by a hallway. The man walked up the steps, his cane clicking against the stone. The cosplayer opened the door with his spare hand. "Please, after you," he told her. Slowly she made her way inside.

The inside of the home looked quite similar to the one in the game with several key differences. Instead of only two chairs at the round dining table, there were eight. The brick stove and water barrel were in the same places, but there were two water barrels instead of one. On Aziya's right there was a large wooden bathtub against the wall and three wooden dividers surrounding it. On the left side of the room, just in front of the hallway, pushed against the wall, were two beds. Their footboards were facing each other. Both beds looked big enough for two people to sleep in. A large wardrobe was located on the other side of the entrance to the hallway, on the left side of the stove, along with a picnic basket.

_Just how much time and effort are they putting into this cosplay? It seems a bit too extreme._ An apprehensive feeling passed through the surreal numbness she felt. Everything felt too real, too much alike to the game she knew for just a reenactment._ I hope I didn't come across a bunch of psychos…_

There were two others inside the room; another elderly lady and man, who both turned upon hearing the two people come in. The woman had brilliant red eyes that widened in surprise upon seeing the stranger. She wore a simple, ankle-length purple robe with a thin strip of cloth tied at the waist. An over robe of blue-green covered her body. Sandaled feet could barely be seen from underneath the robes she wore. Her gray hair was tied into a low bun at the back of her head. Her leathery skin was wrinkled with age, and she appeared to be in at least her late sixties

The other old man was bald with a scraggly gray beard, though not anywhere as thick as the beard the "Village Elder" had. His attire was similar to the woman with an over robe of deep blue covering a yellow-green robe. His brown eyes weren't as shocked as the woman's. He appeared to be much older than the lady.

_The way they dress reminds me of biblical characters, _the stranger thought.

"Amon, who on earth…?" the old woman rasped out while staring at the brunette. The brunette's forehead scrunched up in confusion until the man behind her spoke.

"This young lady was brought back today by the hunters," the "Elder" said. "I am about to speak with her and find out her story." That was when the stranger realized that "Amon" was the old man playing the Elder.

"You're saying…that this woman here…is from _outside the village?_"

"Yes, Lily. That is correct."

A voice broke into the conversation. "What woman? I don't see no outsider nowhere." The other man was squinting at the stranger. "This here's just 'lil Miss Lydia Orston, ain't it? How ya doin', Lydi darlin'?"

"Um…" was all the stranger had to say.

"Felix, where are your glasses?" Amon asked. "You know you are not able to see well without them. You would then realize this woman is obviously not Lydia."

"Bah! I don't need them useless thingamimbobs. More trouble than they's worth," the old man grumbled. "'Sides, I can tell who's I'mma talkin' to."

"Hello, I'm right here," the young woman said, drawing some attention to herself again. Being talked about in third person while in the room was not something she liked.

"Forgive me, I did not think to introduce you," Amon said. "In fact, I have not yet introduced myself, have I? It's been over ten years since I last had the opportunity. My name is Amon Kyner. Nearly everyone in the village addresses me as the Villager Elder, save the other elders. But seeing as you are a stranger here, you may call me Amon. This lady over here is my wife, Lily," Amon informed. "And this man here with the lacking eyesight is Felix Onwah."

"I heard that last bit! My eyes ain't so good no more, but my ears still work plenty good as they done did twenty years ago! And you got a cold or somethin', Lydi? Your voice don't sound so good, darlin'." Felix came closer to the woman, squinting at her all the more. He thrust his face near hers to the point of discomfort for the young woman.

"Uh…" the stranger trailed off, unsure how to speak to the man without sounding rude. He was obviously much older than he had seemed earlier.

"Well, anyhows, I hope you feel better, darlin'. Make sure you rest now, ya hear? I need to be takin' my late afternoon walk. Lily, where's my cane at?"

Lily brought his cane over from next to the stove and gave to him, along with a pair of glasses. "Go on now and don't cause trouble for anyone. And wear your glasses! They help you!"

"Ah, quit your naggin', woman! I'll be just fine." With that the old man went and headed out the door with his glasses clutched in one gnarled hand. "Always naggin' at me…" he grumbled as he went out.

The stranger just asked, "Is he always like that?"

"Most days, yes. Felix is in his late seventies, and his vision and hearing are not what they used to be. I apologize for that. He usually listens to his wife, Hisa, more so than the rest of us."

"And who's the Lydi he had me mixed up with?"

"Lydia is one of our villagers. He may have confused you with her because she has brown hair like you." Amon's voice became serious again. "And now may Lily and I have the courtesy of knowing your name?"

The brunette was hesitant. _Should I tell them…? _After a few seconds she said, "Aziya."

Amon's eyebrows went up. "Aziya? Very unusual name. How do you say it again?"

"Aziya," she repeated more slowly.

Lily commented, "Unusual, yes, but also quite lovely."

"Thanks. Most people call me Azi, though," Aziya replied.

"Then we shall address you as such, if you so prefer," Amon stated. He didn't ask for her last name and she didn't give it.

It was then Lily saw Aziya's wet clothes. "Oh, goodness, you must be freezing! Amon, why in Rem's name did you not let her change the second she came in?" Seeing Aziya's black cinch pack, she asked, "Do you have any spare changes of clothes, dear?"

"Um, no."

"Well, then I'll have to see if I can find some clothes from the other villagers. Hm, you're awfully small though…I'm not sure who will have clothes to fit you. Mei is most likely closest in height and weight to you, seeing your build, but I don't wish to disturb her or her father…Ruri is probably the second most likely person to have clothes near your size. Goodness though, you're so small…" Lily said, circling her. "Alright, I should be back shortly with some clothing for you, dear. Until then, take off your pack and set yourself right down next to the fire," she instructed Aziya. "Amon will make you some hot tea, won't you Amon?"

"Yes, Lily, I will. Why do you think me such an incapable host?"

"It's not that you're incapable, you're unpracticed. Ten years since we last had a guest, and I was the one who usually did the hosting then. Alright, I'll be back shortly." Lily went and let herself out, leaving Aziya and Amon alone.

After a moment of silence, Amon gestured with his left hand towards the chairs closest to the fire. "Please, sit down. I will make us some tea." Amon leaned his cane against the wall and began gathering materials to make tea-the old fashioned way, with a pot dangling in the hearth.

Aziya went and sat down in one of the chairs closest to the stove. She took her pack off and set it on the table. She untied her soaked zip up hoodie from around her waist and wrapping it around her French braid, attempted to squeeze some excess water from her hair. The jacket was somewhat soaked again. She set the hoodie on the table. Feeling the heat from the fire upon her skin gave her goose bumps. The brunette dug her phone out of her jean pocket. Sliding off the back cover, she checked the battery. It seemed slightly wet, but not drenched, which surprised her. _Then again, it's been in the washer before and still survived._ _Give it some time to dry and it'll probably be okay. _Aziya took the battery out and put it down on the wooden surface next to her jacket, followed by the phone itself and its back cover.

While waiting for the tea to ready, Amon came and sat himself in the chair next to Aziya. He pulled it out so that he faced her, his right side to the fire. He set his left arm upon the table. "The tea should be ready soon. While we wait, however, I wonder if you could tell me how it is you came to be here, Azi. Judging by the story Esto told everyone earlier, it seems as though you appeared here quite by accident. Would you mind telling me your side of the story, and everything that happened?"

"I'd like to call my parents first, if you don't mind. Do you have a phone I can use? I need to call my grandparents too."

Amon's brow furrowed in confusion at her request. "What do you mean, 'call'? What is a 'phone'?"

Aziya's blue eyes became slightly angry. "Look, I understand that maybe you guys are trying to keep in character for this reenactment or whatever it is you're doing, but now's not the time for it. A cosplayer was hurt earlier and he needs a hospital, and I really need to call my family. I don't doubt they're going out of their minds with worry."

"I do not understand what you mean by reenactment and cosplaying. We are not doing a reenactment of any sort. I do not understand what it is you are saying. As for a 'phone,' we do not have one for you to use, whatever that may be."

Aziya didn't like what she thought she saw in Amon's brown eyes; honesty. Her stomach clenched in uneasiness. "Okay, if you don't have a phone, what means of communication do you have? A computer would work even, 'cause then at least I could email or facebook my family. Normally I'd try to call or text from my phone, but I'm not sure if it works. Until the battery's dry, I won't know."

The old man spoke to her gently. "Azi, we do not have any of these things you speak of. I do not know any of these words. 'Phone,' 'computer,' 'email,' 'facebook'…I do not know of any of these things or what they are. And as far as communication…we have none. There is no one outside with whom to communicate. Even if there was, the only form of communication is through letters and messages."

"Okay, even then, you must have a car or something that I or someone can drive to another nearby town. I mean, just because you're all choosing to live like an Amish community doesn't mean the next town over won't have a payphone. You must have a car or a horse and buggy, or something…some kinda transportation?"

"No. It's far too dangerous to travel outside the wall. I have no idea the state of the other nearby villages. I do not think it likely that the inhabitants are alive, or if they are, they are possessed by Seru."

Aziya burst out angrily, "Then how the heck are you supposed to help me?! Cause you're not so far. Can you at least tell me where I am?"

"You are in Rim Elm," he replied patiently.

Aziya just snorted. "I swear, you guys are taking this way too seriously. The way you said it, you sound like you're not joking."

Amon did not appear to like the way Aziya was reacting. "My dear, where are you from? By the way you dress, I would assume you to be from the Sebucus Islands or Karisto Kingdom. Your speech and accent also gives me this impression."

"And why on earth would I tell a complete stranger where I'm from? I don't have any idea who you are or where I am, and you're not helping me."

"I cannot help you unless I know your situation. Believe me, the other villagers and I will attempt to help you as best we can, but we cannot unless you tell us how you came to be here. In all honesty, I highly doubt you were traveling due to the Mist, and due to the other fact that you do not have a spare change of clothes. Was magic involved?"

Aziya just crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. "Again with the magic crap. You know, the other guys earlier brought that up, too. What is it with you guys? Are you even mentally stable? Or are you just now including me as part of your freaking cosplay?"

"What is a cosplay? You keep mentioning that word."

Aziya stood up. "Okay, I'm done. No offense, but you're not exactly being helpful and I need to call my parents." With that she grabbed her phone, battery and back cover, tossed her wet jacket over her back, and then slid her cinch pack over her shoulders. "Maybe someone else here will be willing to help me-talking in _modern_ terms." Tennis shoes squelching, she made her way to the door and opened it.

Amon called out from behind her, "Azi, wait!"

But Aziya ignored the old man.; at least until she went through the door and came to a sudden halt on the steps. The two story cottage had hidden the view on the way up the hill. Even now, with the large building just a bit taller than the hill, the view from the hill was difficult to see unless a person was standing right on the steps of the Elders' cottage where Aziya now currently stood. The sounds were virtually nonexistent from the distance she was at, as was the smell.

But she could see it; she could see the ocean right in front of her. The uneasiness in her stomach began building into fear. Her gut clenched painfully, and her chest began to hurt as her heart started hammering. Without thinking about it, the young woman began running. She had to be certain. Despite the fact that her legs still felt like jelly from running earlier after the whole freak incident, she didn't slow down. She ran down the hill, past cottages and people. She ran for several minutes, ignoring concerned looks from the weird cosplayers she passed.

The stranger skidded to a stop at the edge of the bluff.

Right there, right in front of her…was a beach; a sandy beach, with waves receding before coming back to meet the shore. The brunette could hear the waves. She could smell and taste the salt. She could see the beautiful water with her own two wide eyes.

Numbly, Aziya managed to go find the stone stairs and scramble down them. The brunette went right up to the water's edge. Scooping some of the water in her hand, she took a small sip, then spit it out. _This is __**salt **__water…_despite the words that went through Aziya's head, her mind was unable to process them. Aloud she whispered, "But there _aren't_ any oceans in Indiana…"

Despite what her nose scented, despite what her ears heard, despite what her eyes saw, the stranger could not contemplate it. Everything around her was logically _impossible._

_Oh god, where am I? Where the heck __**am **__I? _Aziya's body began shaking. A new level of fear blossomed in her chest, and she felt like she couldn't breathe properly.

Immediately her hands went to work-the phone was held in one hand and the battery in the other. She inserted the battery back into the phone then slid the cover back on. Her hands were hardly able to perform the task, quivering as they were. She stepped away from the water, not trusting herself to not drop the phone into the salty waves.

"Please work, please work, please work…" she pleaded quietly. The woman pushed the power button. A few seconds later, her phone came on. She breathed a deep sigh of relief-only to find shortly later that there was no signal. Hands still shaking, she dialed a number from her contacts list on her Sprint Rumor. The dialing stopped barely three seconds in. Searching for service flashed on the screen. Aziya tried several different numbers-her parents' cells, the house phone, all three of her brothers', her sister's, her grandparents'. None of them were working. Aziya attempted to send text messages. Every single one of them failed to be sent.

**_I have no way to contact my _****_family…_**The thought slammed into her like a semi-truck. A haze of panic overtook her-she had no idea where she was, no way of communication, or any idea of what to do. There was nobody here that she knew. It felt like a painful block had formed in her chest-suddenly it was extremely hard to take in any air. A few seconds passed and Aziya felt dizzy. She fell to her knees, her hands grasping at her chest-her heart was beating harder and more rapidly than she could ever remember feeling…she could never remember feeling this afraid before.

The stranger could barely make out the sound of footsteps clicking on stone, or the sudden presence beside her. A deep voice near her said, "Calm down. You need to breathe…" Two large hands gripped her right shoulder and wrist gently.

Another voice, a female, shouted out, "Sade! Go get Vada! Tell her to bring some lavender!"

A little girl called, "Okay!"

"Easy, sweetie, easy…" the female voice was closer now, attempting to soothe the young woman. Aziya felt tears beginning to trickle their way down her cheeks; she could easily say she was terrified. "What happened Tetsu?" the same voice asked.

"She came down to the ocean, and then just suddenly started hyperventilating. She was attempting to do something with her…thing."

The young woman felt her wet jacket lifted off her shoulder, and the two people near Aziya managed to remove her cinch pack by forcing her hands away from her chest. A small hand began rubbing her back in small circles as soon as the pack was off. Aziya struggled to draw in breath.

Footsteps could be heard once again. The brunette was unaware of how much time had passed when yet another hand pressed a cloth against her mouth and noise, cutting off any air she could inhale. The stranger could feel her lungs beg for breath-she was forced to take in a deep amount of air compared to the previous extremely, short gasps of oxygen. As she breathed in, the scent of lavender filled her nostrils and a taste settled on her tongue. The cloth was pulled away slightly from her face so that she could take in air unobstructed, but still close enough so that the herbal scent could be inhaled.

After several moments, the red haze of panic cleared from Aziya's vision and she was starting to breathe normally. The rigid ache in her chest gradually disappeared. "There, there…you are alright." A second woman had been the one to administer the lavender. When Aziya looked up to meet the woman's black eyes, she saw that the woman was dressed in a red skirt, a white blouse, and blue vest. Her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. The woman's hand retreated from the brunette's face. An expression of deep concern was on the cosplayer's face. "Do you feel like you can breathe alright now?"

Aziya just nodded while thinking, _The woman who runs the armor shop._ Aziya's mind barely acknowledged the thought. She was still in shock. _I'm near an ocean…a freaking ocean…how did I wind up so far from my Grandma and Grandad's? _Her thoughts were a whirl in her head; there were too many questions all at once, too many answers she needed at that moment. Trying to think logically about her situation was difficult when her brain could hardly even process what was currently going on, especially when she didn't have anyone to contact to help her think.

"What were you trying to do with this?" The woman on Aziya's left held up Aziya's cellphone. The woman had shoulder length red-hair parted from the center and brown eyes. Her full length white skirt and the apron she wore over it were covered in sand from where she kneeled next to Aziya. A delicate white blouse and red vest completed her costume.

It took Aziya a moment to place her. _The woman Vahn meets at the Genesis Tree._

"I was trying to contact my family, but I can't get a hold of them!" the young woman said desperately. "Do you have a telephone, a computer, _anything_ I can use to contact someone?"

The woman shook her head. "We do not have any means of communication."

"But there must be a radio tower or power lines somewhere! I mean, even in rural areas one or the other has to be nearby!"

The man playing Tetsu said, "You will not find any of those things you talk about here."

Tears threatened to overwhelm the stranger. She had no idea where she was or what was going on. "Where am I?! I was not near the ocean an hour ago! The ocean is _hours _away from Greencastle! The only logical explanation is that someone knocked me out or drugged me and kidnapped me right after I got out of the lake!"

"You have not been kidnapped by any of us. The only possible explanation is that magic was involved, if what you say is true," the man said coolly.

"Will you freaking drop the act already? My situation isn't a part of your cosplay. _I'm _not a part of your cosplay, but you keep dragging it on and on! I just want to find out what happened to me," she snapped at him.

Tetsu and the two women glanced at each other uneasily. "Listen to me, sweetie," the red-haired woman said gently. "I think we need to get you in some dry clothes and something to warm you up first. Once you've calmed down, then you can speak with the elders and they'll help you figure out what happened. They're more experienced than us with these things. They're most likely to know. Does that sound like a start?"

"She is right. You need to clear your mind of anxiety and fear first, otherwise you may panic again," the cosplayer Tetsu added.

"Is this alright with you?" the brunette female in front of Aziya asked. Inhaling deeply, Aziya nodded again. "Okay then. I'm going to take you back to the Elders' house, and we'll get you in some dry clothing and something warm to drink." The brunette woman stood and helped Aziya to her feet. The red-haired woman handed Aziya back her phone. Aziya pushed into her pocket. Her cinch pack and jacket both had sand sticking to them, as well as her jeans. Aziya gathered her hoodie and bag into her arms. The shop keeper woman put a hand on Aziya's back and led her gently back up towards the house on the hill. "My name is Vada, by the way. The redhead you met was my sister, Ruri. Lily came by earlier looking for her to see about some clothes for you. Ruri will most likely have something to fit you. The man you saw was-"

"Tetsu, I know. His costume looks exactly like the one from the game." At that sentence, Vada stopped and looked at Aziya oddly.

"Game?" Vada inquired.

"Never mind. Forget what I said," the stranger replied.

"Alright, then." But from out of the corner of her eye, Aziya saw the woman with an unreadable expression on her face. It only added to Aziya's growing fears and anxiety.

* * *

Once again Aziya sat in one of the chairs next to the hearth's fire in the same building as before. A blanket was around her shoulders while she waited for a change of clothes. A wooden cup of steaming tea was set before her. "Here. I added a few ingredients to it in order to calm you down-some more lavender and then a bit of chamomile. And a bit of mint and honey for flavoring. This should ease your nervousness," Vada said. It was the same tea that the Elder had set in the fire earlier.

"Thank you, Vada," Amon said. He too, was sitting in the same chair as earlier. Aziya picked up the warm cup with her hands. It felt good against the chill in her body. However, she glanced warily in the cup. She raised the cup a little closer to her nose. _I can smell the herbs and honey, but did she add anything else? _She didn't feel comfortable taking a drink from a complete stranger, and certainly not from a stranger she saw no reason yet to trust. When Amon saw that she wasn't drinking, he took a sip from his own cup of tea. The young woman and Elder had both watched Vada add the extra ingredients to the brew, but even then Aziya still seemed overly cautious.

Seeing that the old man hadn't died of poisoning, Aziya took a tentative drink from the warm liquid. She could barely taste the lavender or chamomile-the mint and honey overpowered the taste of the two calming herbs. The tea warmed her body from the inside out. The stranger took another sip. Seeing that she was drinking, Vada said, "I'll go join Lily and Ruri in the search for clothes. They're taking longer than I thought they would." She excused herself and left. Aziya had a feeling Vada had left so that Amon could speak to Aziya alone.

After a few more sips of tea, the brunette could feel the herbs going to work. She felt calmer than before. Amon broke the silence by asking, "Are you alright, Azi? I think you concerned quite a few of the villagers with your sudden panic attack."

"I don't know…I have no idea what's going on and people are telling me there's nowhere for my phone to get a signal at. I have no way of contacting my parents until I get a signal…"

"I see. Until that happens, then, we will do our best to help you. Azi, I know you may not want to talk about it, but I need to know what happened earlier when you were with the hunters. Tell me your story from the very beginning. Will you do that?" he requested.

"I may as well now-I've got nothing to lose. You'll think me crazy."

"Try me. This world is full of mysteries. Few things seem impossible."

Aziya took a deep breath and then started, "I was at my grandparents' lake. I was trying to get my cellphone from my pocket and it slipped from my hands. After I fell into the lake trying to catch it..."

* * *

_Aziya sat cross-legged on the dock as it bobbed up and down gently with the waves of the lake. Her cinch pack was tucked in the crook of her left arm-she had three of her favorite books ready to read inside it. The weather was warm-at least fifty degrees or so-making for a wonderful spring day to sit on the dock and enjoy a book. The April breeze blew gently through Aziya's French braid. Sunshine made the lake water glitter and sparkle. She wasn't the only one out enjoying the weather. Nearby a mother duck and her ducklings were swimming across the water. The ducklings were coming the brunette's way, towards the deeper part of the lake. Aziya laughed as she saw the ducks diving under, before eventually coming up and shaking water from their hands. The ducklings were adorable as Mama Duck tried to teach them how to dive properly._

I gotta get a video of this. It's too cute. _Standing up quietly so as not to frighten the feathered family, Aziya reached for the phone from her jean pocket. In her attempt to get it out, the phone slipped from her grasp. Her hands fumbled as she tried to catch it. She leaned too far forwards and lost her balance. "Yike!" she yelped. The next thing she knew, she was cold and wet. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in the lake. She saw her phone slowly sinking down beside her towards the bottom. She grabbed it in her right hand and swam for the surface two or three feet above. Sunlight rippled through the water. Aziya could see the bottom of the wooden platform and reached to grab the edge of it, seeing as her hand was closer than her head._

_Her hand broke the surface of the water, followed by her head. However, the wooden dock was much colder than she had expected to be. It should have been warm, due to the heat from the sun's rays. Aziya grabbed what she assumed was the dock and hauled herself up. She folded her arms on the dock and laid her head down for a moment. Her pack weighed heavily on her left arm-it held all of the crap that most women would carry in a purse, after all, plus three of her favorite novels._ Thank God I asked for a waterproof bag. Never thought I'd wind up swimming with it.

_However, that was when the young woman realized something was wrong. The wooden dock didn't feel like wood. She wasn't bobbing up and down, and she couldn't feel sunlight on her body. Aziya lifted her head, only to see gray stone._ What the heck?_ The brunette then ran her hand along the surface. It felt like rough stone, not smooth wood._ _"What the…this isn't the dock. Where'd the stone come from?" Looking up, she saw trees-too many trees. There were woods upon her grandparents' property, but there weren't trees near the lake._ _With one arm grasping the stone wall, Aziya rotated in the water, glancing at the place around her._

_She shrieked when she saw two men a few mere feet away from her with arrows pointed at her. Startled, her first instinct was to get away. She let go of the wall in an attempt to swim farther away. Instead, she wound up sinking. Aziya came up a second later, spitting out water. She pressed herself against the stone wall as she gripped the edge again. The woman shouted out, "Where did you all come from?!"_

_"Where did _you _come from?" one man instantly shot back. That was when Aziya realized that were more of them-five men in all. They appeared to range in age with the youngest –the man who had just spoken-being about nineteen, while the oldest man-the one nearest her- looked to be in his forties. Seeing five men who she knew were all older than her, she gripped the ledge of the wall, pulled herself out of the water, and then whirled to face them as she backpedaled. There was a decent of amount of distance between them and herself now._

_Aziya shivered the moment she was out of the water. It might haven warm, but it certainly wasn't weather to go swimming in yet as she just had. Her clothes dripped and they felt heavy on her. Her sneakers squelched. The shade provided by the trees did nothing but make the brunette colder. Once more Aziya quickly glanced around. This was definitely _not _her grandparents' lake. "Where am I? I was not in the woods ten seconds ago!"_

_Aziya saw four of the men look at the oldest man as though he was their leader. All five men had their bows trained on her-the weapons made her very uneasy. Just by the way they held them, Aziya didn't doubt that these men knew how to shoot an arrow. "Who are you? How did you appear in the spring like that? Was it magic?" His voice was harsh and hard._

_Aziya felt her eyebrows go up. "_What? _Magic? Are you crazy?" The man had said it so seriously! The young female took a moment to get a good look at all of the men. Each one of them wore light leather armor and quivers upon their backs, along with water canteens slung over their shoulders. Their bows were made of fashioned wood. Each man looked physically fit and healthy, if their arm muscles were anything to judge by. The two hunters closest to her appeared to have hunting horns slung over their shoulders. She burst out, "Who _are _you? Why are you wearing…armor, and why do you have bows and arrows?!" The appearance of these men made her feel threatened-she was a lone female who stood five foot one and weighed about a hundred pounds. Aziya had no means of defense, and she didn't like the current situation._

_The man next to the leader calmly told her, "We're hunters. We wear armor to protect ourselves from Seru. Now, who are you?"_

_"And what are you wearing?" one of the other men asked. "We've never seen clothing like what you're wearing."_

_Aziya could feel her heart starting to beat. "I'm wearing normal everyday clothes like all teens wear. And did you just say _Seru_?"_

_"Yes," said the man with the gray eyes. Seeing as he appeared to be the second oldest, Aziya automatically assumed he was second in command or something like that._

I just need to get out of here. Five men on me…I might be able to outrun them if I just knew where here was. _Once more Aziya looked at her surroundings. She suddenly felt very afraid of what these men could-and might-do to her. Not to mention the use of the word "Seru" added onto her uneasiness. She was surrounded by woods-she couldn't possibly be too far from her grandparents' house or their lake. Had she been dragged out here? "Okay…" she started, struggling to find the right words. "How…" she moved her hand around, gesturing to the woods. "How…did this-this…" she couldn't find a word to describe the event that happened to her. "-this all happen? How am I here?"_

_"We were waiting for you to tell us. None of us have ever seen someone suddenly appear out of nowhere," the leader said._

_Deciding to be honest with them-just because she didn't want to irritate them-she explained, "…I…I was out on the dock at my grandparents' lake. I accidentally dropped my cellphone…when I tried to catch it, I leaned too far forward and fell into the water. I was in the lake for maybe a minute. I got my phone before it sank, then came back up. But when I reached for the dock from under the water…I touched a stone wall instead…" Aziya's blue eyes scanned the clearing around her once more._

_"Whats a 'cellphone'?" one of the "hunters" asked._

_Aziya felt herself gape. _Is he for real? He sounds too freaking serious. _Looking at his expression of confusion and curiosity, the man seemed serious enough. "How do you _not know _what a cellphone is? Everyone knows what a cellphone is." At least, every single person Aziya had ever met knew what a cellphone was. She saw the five men all turn to glance at one another-their expressions looked just as uneasy as Aziya felt. Her heartbeat began to pulse harder. This time she couldn't keep the anxiety out of her voice when she asked, "Can you please tell me where I am?"_

_The youngest of the males answered, "You're in Drake Kingdom."Aziya just felt herself give him a what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about look. "In Legaia."_

_Aziya felt herself freeze at those two words. _Did he just say Legaia? As in the video game? Did I come across potential nuts who just might rape me? _The only words she could utter aloud were, "_Excuse me?" _The words were barely above a whisper._

_Once again one of the men spoke. "He just said you're in Legaia. Where are you from?"_

_Aziya made the obvious logical choice of not answering-he was a complete stranger, not to mention a complete nut job. Confusion and fear were causing to her heart to beat in overdrive. Apparently the men had deemed her not to be a threat, for the leader lowered his bow. The other four men did likewise._

_One man stepped towards her. "What's your name?"_

_The second he stepped forward, Aziya took several paces back. She wanted him to stay far, far away from her. "I don't know if I should tell you that."_

_The same man who had asked Aziya for her place of origin cut in quickly. "We need to go! The Mist is getting closer! If we don't leave in the next few minutes, we'll be caught up in it. We can't risk being attacked by Seru!"_

_"Jacob's right. Esto, what do we do about her?" One of the males jerked his head at Aziya. _They're talking about freaking Mist! Why do they keep referring to Legend of Legaia? And what do they mean "do about me?"

_The leader appeared to be making a decision. "I supposed she should come with us." This time the leader turned to speak to her. "If you stay out here, you'll die. Rim Elm is the only safe place from the Mist and Seru."_

_Aziya just stared at the man in incredulity. _He's insane…they're all insane… _her voice didn't hold its usual tone as she said, "Is this some kind of joke to you? Because I'm not finding it finny." Each man gave her an expression that asked why the current situation would be a joke. "Seru, Mist, Rim Elm, Drake Kingdom, Legaia…it's not funny." Some of the men's expressions hardened somewhat._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_Before Aziya could reply, the man called Esto broke in. "Look, we can figure everything out later. For now, you need to come with us." His voice held no request-it was an order._

I need to run. **Now**. _Esto took a step towards her. Immediately she backed away slowly, not wanting to provoke him. Aziya began making her way towards the woods. "Okay…okay,_ _I have no idea who you five are. I don't know why you're dressed the way you are, or why you have bows and arrows. I don't know why you're saying crazy crap about a video game…I don't know, and I don't want to. My grandparents are probably worried, so I'm…I'm gonna go now. I guess I'll…see you around, w-whoever you are." Seeing that their weapons were lowered still, she spun and ran._

_Behind her she heard a chorus of "Stop!" and "Wait!"_

Gotta get away, gotta get away…oh God, help me now! _Aziya's legs pumped-at least she knew she could outrun them-for the moment. But she'd have to find somewhere to hide quickly. _A tree…I can hide in the branches…_Already her breath was coming in short gasps. She was a short distance sprinter, not a long distance runner. Her stamina wouldn't last long._

_Aziya managed to shove her phone into her jean pocket as she sprinted. She kept on running, willing herself to endure. But her speed was slowing. Aziya was panting when she came upon a most unusual sight; a thick veil of fog could be clearly seen ahead. The brunette stopped. _What the…? _The fog was moving towards her very quickly-faster than any fog she had ever seen. It was the thickest mist she had ever seen-and Aziya had seen some very foggy mornings. It quickly came upon her, surrounding her in whiteness. She could barely see the tree five feet in front of her. The sun was blocked out-no more than a hazy orb in the sky that was barely able to be made out._

Why is it foggy all of a sudden? There's no rain, no dew or condensation…nothing to make fog…unless they have a fog machine? That would make sense…but why? Are those men just doing all of this to mess with my head? How the heck would they even know I own Legend of Legaia and know all about it? Something's majorly off… _Shaking her head, Aziya kept running-between the fog and the men, she'd take her chances with the fog._

_Sixty seconds later, she was regretting that decision; the woman gave a shrill scream as a lightning bolt suddenly dashed right past her. _**Where the hell did that come from?! **_her mind shrieked. She had felt the heat of the electricity as it had passed her. Another bolt came from straight ahead of her-she dodged to the side, landing in a scramble._

_Red took over her vision as she saw a third one coming-her mind screamed "Run!" Her heart was pounding so hard it felt painful. Her breath now came in ragged gasps as her body panicked in fear. Aziya thought she heard something flying through the air-and then yet a fourth bolt came shooting towards her. Just ahead of her, she saw a creature. And it was floating in midair. It floated straight towards her. A menacing feeling chilled the air. "Is that a…Theeder?" Aziya voiced aloud. The Seru-look-alike was streaking towards her._

_Aziya then turned to run in the opposite direction. Now she'd rather take her chances with the men. The woman ran with what little energy she had left-only to feel a stinging slap as she ran into a thick, low hanging branch. Her right eye watered from the blow, causing her to stop. Aziya pressed a hand against her hurting eye as she then ducked under the branch._

_The sound of the gliding had grown louder. A twisting spin of electricity passed her on her right, narrowly missing her as Aziya veered away to her left-only to have another one pass on her left. Yet again, it missed by a hair. Aziya gave a shriek of fear as she threw herself on the ground in attempts to avoid both. Even now, a third twister was coming towards her. And for a yet the third time, missed her. Aziya had nonetheless put distance between herself and it. The pattern of the attacks had made her take a path in which she was now pressed with her back against a tree trunk. That was when three of the strange Theeder look-alikes came out of the fog._

**"**A human. Do not let her get away!" _The voice was a malicious one; and even more strangely, it sounded as though it had come from Aziya's _head_. The three Theeders came and quickly surrounded her, keeping her near the trunk._

_Aziya attempted to move and run again-but another blast of lightning made her move back. She attempted to do the same by moving to the left. Once again, a shriek left her mouth as she scrambled around between the two bolts. Her blood was pounding in her ears-she could feel her heart thudding painfully against her chest._

"She is trapped. Now we can kill her!" _one voice said. Aziya froze. With her blood roaring in her ears, it should have been much harder to hear the words of the-whatever it was. But she had heard the words clearly._

"We should possess her…then we could have our fun killing any other humans that are out here!"

_A third voice spoke, _"How do you know there are other humans out here?"

"A human would not be so foolish to wander out here alone!"

"But none of us sense the presence of other humans."

"That is because they must not be nearby."

_Once again, Aziya made a move to get away, but when lightning crackled for yet the umpteenth time from the Theeder-replicas' bodies, she changed her mind. The young woman pressed her back against the trunk, putting all the distance she could between herself and the strange things._

God, help me. Please, please help me. _She sent a silent prayer. _This is too far! What's going on? What the freaking crap is going on?!

_The Seru look-alikes continued to bicker over whether to kill her or not._

"Kill her_!" the first said._

_The second voice from before exclaimed, _"No! I wish to have this one."

"Why? She is weak. She is a worthless host." _The particular Theeder raised its skinny arms. Aziya squeezed her eyes shut and her breath quickened even more so than before. Her body tensed itself for the oncoming pain._

Am I really going to die due to some kind of freak accident from a Seru replica? _Aziya thought._ Jesus, please let it be quick and painless. Will Grandma and Grandad find my body somewhere out in their woods?

"There's another human here," _one of the three Seru said._

_A loud sound-like the call of a horn- sounded. Aziya knew it was just her imagination. She thought she heard three _thunks! _A moment later, she imagined she heard a voice-a much less evil sounding voice-ask, "Are you alright?"_

_She didn't want to open her eyes. But then she heard feet pounding against the grass and felt a presence near her. "Come on, I'll get you back to Rim Elm."_

_Hearing a voice so near, she immediately opened her eyes and attempted to scramble away. Aziya didn't want anyone or anything touching her-she wanted to get back to her grandparents. But a strong grip wrapped around her wrist, keeping her from getting up and running like she so desperately wanted to._

_"It's alright! Please believe me when I say I won't hurt you," the voice soothed._

_Looking back, Aziya saw one of the men from the spring-the man with the gray eyes. The young woman attempted to speak, to ask questions, to demand what was going on. But instead her voice trembled out, "I-I-I don't know what's going on!"_

_"It's alright. I'll get you to safety," he reassured her. Aziya struggled to free herself from his grasp, but she was held fast. The man leaned down and set his bow upon the ground before reaching for the hunting horn hanging from his shoulder with his now free hand. The man blew into the hunting three times-two short calls followed by one long one. "As soon as we meet Esto at the spring, we'll leave." He set his horn back over his shoulder and picked up the bow and arrow, all the while keeping a grip upon her wrist._

_Aziya stiffened as she heard more sounds-the sounds of several somethings gliding upon air. There were sounds of crackling and the feel of heat from behind her. Aziya just had time to glimpse a glow of fiery colors and blue flashes a short distance away. "Get down!" Next thing she knew, the hand around her wrist was gone and she had been thrown to the ground hard. A heavy weight was on top of her. Seconds later, the weight on top of her disappeared. "Run!" the man shouted at her. "To the spring!"_

_Aziya didn't hesitate. She was up on her feet and running like her life depended on it-but in this case, that statement was true. Aziya heard another blow from the man's horn behind her. Glancing back behind her, the woman's blue eyes widened. The man was several yards behind her by the sound of his footfalls, the Seru quickly gaining judging by the flashes of fire and electricity she could see lighting through the fog. She could barely make out anything behind her. Aziya slowed her pace enough so that she could just discern the shape of the man in the thick mist._

_Another tornado of electricity could be seen-it lit up the man's silhouette, casting the front of his body in shadow. _**"Watch out!" **_Her words came too late. Aziya heard the man's cry of anguish-two or three more of the spinning lightning bolts were now traveling towards him._

"Kill him!"

'Kill the humans!" _the Seru replicas cried._

_The man's cry transformed into a haunting scream as the next several bolts came into contact with his body. Aziya immediately skidded in her attempt to turn around. Dashing back towards the man just a few paces behind her, she found his body lying on the ground, twitching from the electricity. His bow had landed beside him. Then the male's body went still. He was unconscious-or at least until Aziya quickly felt for a pulse. She didn't feel anything. He wasn't breathing. Was he dead?_

_Acting upon instinct, the female grabbed the man's arms and began trying to half-carry, half-drag him. Aziya left the bow behind. The Seru were advancing fast. Aziya felt herself upon the brink of panicking. She could barely run with the man's weight added. "Help! Please, someone help!" she screamed. She had to get help, and if she wanted the man to live, then she had to call 911-what if his heart had stopped? _I won't get a freaking chance to perform CPR! _"Help! Help!" Aziya was running out of breath and strength quickly. She didn't know how far they were from the spring._

_"Where are you?!" a male voice cried. The voice was close by._

_"Over here! Please, help us!"_

_Aziya could hear many sticks snapping and bushes rustling. Aziya quickly saw a man-Esto, if she recalled right-fall in beside her out of the white mist. "What happened to Juno?!"_

_"He got electrocuted!" Aziya exclaimed. Struggling to suck in a deep enough breath, she added, "There's a bunch of those things back there!"_

_"I'll hold these Seru off and get Juno. Get to the spring!" he instructed her. Without another word, Esto turned around and began shooting arrows into fog behind him where he saw the flashing lightning and the glow of fireballs._

_Aziya didn't do as the man told her to. _God, protect me, protect me please! _She laid the unconscious man down. Aziya couldn't bring herself to abandon the man, and she knew she couldn't carry him. She tried to calm her quaking body. Her lungs burned and her legs ached and her throat was dry. Aziya turned her attention to the man on the ground._

_Spotting a knife sheathed in his belt, she grabbed it. It would take too long to get the armor off in order to check his heart. Grabbing the top of his armor near his chest, as well as the shirt under it, Aziya began slicing through the thick leather and the shirt. The knife was sharp, and with a bit of effort, Aziya managed to cut through the materials enough to reveal his chest. Aziya set the knife down._

_The woman put her hands over his chest and felt for a heartbeat. There was none. She put her head down on his so she could listen for one. There was no thudding in his chest. How long had it been since he'd been electrocuted? One minute? Two? His body still felt fairly warm-there could still be a chance to save him._

_Esto quickly put his one hand over Juno's chest. "He's dead."_

_"No he's not!" She took out her phone. "Call 911!" She thrust the phone into Esto's hand. The woman made her hand into a fist, and concentrating, tried to figure out where to hit. The female had never done a cardiopulmonary thump-she had only seen the technique used by her mom. Hoping that she was accurate, she drove her fist down upon Juno's heart. After a few seconds, Aziya then placed her hands upon Juno's chest and began trying to perform CPR. Again and again, she thrust her hands down into his chest._

_"What are you doing?! We have to go!" He dropped the phone and grabbed Aziya's upperarm._

_"Stop it! If we can pump his heart until the medics get here, then he might live!" she shrieked._

_A young voice called, "Esto! Juno! Are you there?!"_

_"Yell if you can hear us!" another shouted._

_Esto let go of Aziya and cried back, "We are here! Over here!"_

_More footsteps could be heard now. "We found them!" The man who had been addressed as Jacob earlier was the first to be seen. "Are you alright?! What's wrong with Juno?"_

_"No time to explain," Esto immediately said. "There's Seru right on our tails. I managed to take down the ones that attacked Juno, but there's more on the way. Juno is dead."_

_Esto's last sentence shocked all of the men. "Damn it! Call 911 one of you!" The four men glanced down at the woman who kneeled upon the ground. With that, she then resumed what she had been doing. Once again, Aziya was thrusting her hands into Juno's chest. "Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight…" they could hear her counting quietly. "Twenty-nine, thirty."_

_The woman tilted Juno's head back, squeezed his nose shut, and then did something that shocked the males-putting her mouth over his._

_"Why are you kissing him?!" Jacob exclaimed._

_Aziya ignored him. She turned her head to the side, drew in a lungful of air, then put her mouth back over Juno's. Aziya just heard someone say, "No, look…his chest is rising."_

_"She's making him breathe…" Esto said. More crackling noises could be heard in the distance. "There's more on the way. We have to go!"_

_"No! If we move him, I can't perform CPR! Call the police! Get them here! They can deal with those-whatever they are," Aziya ordered them again, all the while starting to perform chest compressions for a second round. Her arms were burning from all of the prior running around and then dragging Juno. But still she made herself continue. _He might be psycho, but I don't want him to die!

_It was too late to run. The Seru-replicas had caught up enough that they were within range of attacking the group. Aziya didn't care-she was too focused upon the fact that the man's-Juno's-heart wasn't beating. "Please, one of you call one 911! He needs an ambulance! Or come take over for me and I'll dial!" she begged._

_"There's no time! Jacob, Dai, Haddon, get ready!" Esto commanded. "We have to keep firing-there can't be more than several Seru!"_

_The four men positioned themselves, taking cover behind trees and readying their bows and arrows. There were four twangs as four arrows were loosed. Aziya finished another round and breathed into Juno's mouth a second time, pushing two deep breaths of air into his lungs. The brunette began a third round of compressions. The sounds of whistling arrows, shrieks of pain from the creatures pierced by the weapons, and crackling lightening and burning fires filled the air around her. All Aziya focused upon was the man in front of her. Eventually she gave a third set of breaths, followed by a fourth set of compressions and breaths, then a fifth._

_Aziya was ready to give up when she was beginning upon the sixth round of CPR. _God, please! Save him! Get one of the stupid idiots over there to dial 911! _the young woman prayed desperately. Tears pricked at her eyes. There was no point in continuing to do CPR if an ambulance didn't arrive in just a few minutes-and that wasn't going to happen, since no one had dialed 911. There wouldn't be any trained medics or medicines to restart the man's heart-not even an AED._

_The man was going to die._

_That was when it happened-it was a violent cough and sucking in of air that made her stop. Aziya looked down in amazement-the man's eyes had fluttered open for just a few seconds in shock before he went limp again. But Juno's chest was rising and falling ever so faintly in an irregular pattern as his lungs filled with oxygen._

_It was a miracle-the absolute near impossible had happened. _Thank you! _she praised. Jerking herself out of her amazed stupor, Aziya checked the man's pulse and heartbeat. There was a faint pulse and she could barely hear a heartbeat inside his chest-but both were there nonetheless. Remembering her first aid training, the woman struggled to turn Juno onto his side-it would help him to breathe easier. She tilted his head back as well, and held it until he had had a chance to inhale several times. _I can't believe it…the CPR alone managed to revive him….

_Now she just had to get him to a doctor. Aziya reached for her phone where Esto had dropped it in the grass. The woman then realized that it was still wet. Gently setting Juno's head down, she was about to slide open the back and check the condition of the battery-however, the four men had with much luck managed to take down the seven or eight Seru that had been upon them. They turned back to Aziya and their companion._

_When Esto saw Juno breathing, his eyes widened. He quickly kneeled and felt for a pulse. Feeling it, he turned his eyes upon Aziya. "What did you do? His heartbeat was gone-he was dead."_

_"It doesn't matter Esto-now, we need to go. We can get help for Juno back at the village," the youngest man said._

_"Dai is right," another man said-it was the only other man whose name Aziya didn't know. "We don't know when more Seru will turn up. We shouldn't hang about."_

_Esto nodded. "Haddon, you're strongest. Will you carry Juno? I think we can spare a few moments at the spring to give Juno Drake Water and make a litter."_

_The man who had spoken previously nodded. Aziya moved out of the way as Haddon moved. The man placed his bow over his shoulders and gently hoisting Juno up, placed the unconscious man over his left shoulder. With the other hand he drew out a knife similar to the one Aziya had taken from Juno's belt._

_Suddenly thinking about that fact, Aziya quickly grabbed the knife lying on the ground and placed it back in Juno's sheath. "That's his," Aziya said._

_"We're going then. Now, are you going to come with us this time?" Esto asked her. "Or do you want to run off and be killed?"_

_"I ran off because I didn't like being around five armed men!" she snapped at him. "What just happened doesn't _usually_ happen!"_

_"Juno nearly _died_ because of you. Everyone knows not to run off alone due to the Mist and Seru."_

_"Will you shut up already about the stupid Mist and Seru crap?! I don't know what that was back there-probably stupid mechanical look-alikes you guys somehow managed to make. As for the Mist, a fog machine isn't exactly hard to find. I don't know that I feel all that much safer with you guys than I do out here alone!"_

_"Enough!" Jacob broke in. "Esto, leave her be. We can find everything out when we get back. As for you," he addressed Aziya. "We won't force you to come with us if you truly don't want to. But there is no doubt you will be killed otherwise-you saw what just happened. The choice is yours-personally, we would like for you to come back with us. You're the first human we've seen in over ten years outside Rim Elm."_

I don't know that I should…_Aziya switched her gaze from Jacob to Juno's body. _But I still want to make sure that he gets the help he needs…and they might have a phone. Probably be better than getting lost out here in the woods by myself… _After a moment, Aziya said, "How far is it? To the town?"_

_"Two miles away from the spring," Jacob replied. "Are you coming with us?"_

_"I guess so."_

_"Then let's go. Esto, lead the way."_

_Esto held his weapons and said to Aziya, "Stay close to us. Danger can come at any moment." Aziya jammed her phone into her pocket. Esto took the lead, followed by Haddon hoisting Juno's body, then the youngest member-Dai, she remembered-and then finally Jacob. Aziya followed reluctantly after the men. Everyone broke into a light jog, and Aziya had recovered to where she was able to keep up with the pace._

_It was only a few minutes before they came upon the water source Aziya had randomly surfaced in. "Haddon, lay Juno down. I'll get him some Drake Water. Dai, Jacob, can you both find some branches long enough to make a litter for Juno?"_

_"We'll get them. Be back in a few," Dai answered. Jacob and Dai went off to the trees nearby, searching for limbs. Haddon had gently laid Juno upon the ground. Aziya saw Esto go to fill a canteen at the fountain._

_Gazing around, Aziya felt her eyes widen in surprise. The spring looked shockingly similar to the Hunter's Spring from _Legend of Legaia_. _There's no way. No freaking way. _The scene looked too similar for her tastes._

_The spring was in the same place, as was the fountain. There were blue and yellow flowers growing all over the clearing. All around them were woods, leaving the spring in a circular clearing. Near the fountain, a wooden chest with red peeling paint stood. There were a few differences, such as the woods surrounding the clearing, as well as the fact there were no trees in the clearing itself-only bushes and flowers. There was no hedging. Nonetheless, the location seemed uncannily alike to what Aziya recalled from the game._

_Esto was now pouring some of the water into Juno's mouth. Haddon was squeezing Juno's nose shut, forcing Juno to breathe through the mouth. The water trickled down Juno's throat as he gasped for air. Between Juno's coughing and needing to breathe, Esto managed to get Juno to drink most of the container, although the process took a few minutes._

_Eventually Dai and Jacob were back, carrying two long tree limbs. The two branches had been stripped of their bark. Setting his limb down, Jacob went to the chest and opened it. From it he took a blanket-apparently the chest held supplies. Jacob and Dai together managed to fasten a reasonably sturdy stretcher long enough for Juno to lie on._

_"Alright, Esto, help me get Juno on the stretcher," Haddon said. Setting the canteen over his shoulder, Esto helped to lift the limp man onto the stretcher gently. A strip of fabric from the blanket had been cut and was being used to secure Juno to the stretcher around the waist as a safety precaution._

_"Dai," Esto instructed, "will you help Haddon carry Juno? Jacob and I will take front and rear guard." Dai and Haddon lifted the stretcher without question._

_"Do you want me to take front or back?" Jacob inquired._

_"I will take rear. You take front," Esto directed. "As for you…we do not know your name," Esto realized, speaking to the only female._

_"You haven't introduced yourselves yet. And I don't want to share my name with people I don't know."_

_"Fair enough. Anyhow, stay near the middle with Juno. That way you are protected from both directions." Aziya nodded._

_"Alright, let us go." It seemed to be much easier traveling with the litter. Once more everyone broke into a light sprint. Aziya groaned inwardly. _I don't know how long I'll last at this rate. _Her legs already felt like jelly._

"Humans! I sense humans!"

"Several of them!"

_The inhuman voices made everyone stop. _Oh crap. Not again. _Aziya turned to see several Seru-replications a short distance away. This time they were Gimards. Aziya was already backing away, not wanting a repeat of last time._

_"Run!" Haddon shouted. Everyone did just that. Aziya's speed quickly put her at the head of the group. Behind her she heard the pounding feet of the men._

_"Just a little further! We should be able to make it out of the Mist in a mile or so!" Esto shouted._

_For a few minutes, Aziya managed to keep ahead of the males. But her breathing was quickly becoming ragged gasps as she tried to suck in air. Her lungs once more were burning and her throat became parched. Her legs ached. Already she could feel herself beginning to be outpaced by Jacob and the men bearing the stretcher. The woman stumbled in her attempt to keep up-she fell._

_Swiftly she scrambled to her feet. An arm quickly wrapped around her waist. Aziya let out a yelp of surprise as she was hauled over a hard shoulder-Esto's shoulder. Then she was bouncing along as Esto ran. Her added weight didn't even falter his pace. She had difficulty sucking in air with her stomach right over his shoulder._

_This time, they managed to stay well ahead of the Seru look-alikes, despite the Serus' much quicker pace. Aziya managed to place her elbows upon Esto's back and struggled to glimpse what was in front of the group. Up ahead, the fog was beginning to clear from what she could see-it didn't seem as dense as before._

_Eventually the Seru were forced to stop pursuit. Aziya could finally see sunlight above her, along with blue sky. More distance was put behind them, and Aziya could make out what seemed to be a thick cloud around the woods they had left behind just a few minutes ago. Just about everyone plopped to the ground. Juno's stretcher was set down before Haddon and Dai collapsed as well. Everyone took several minutes to get their breath, along with a few gulps of water. Aziya had been freed from Esto's grasp and was lying face down in the grass a few feet away._

_Her back was moving rapidly as she breathed. It was awfully hard to breathe with a shoulder jammed into one's stomach. Aziya's body just felt exhausted. She was perfectly fine to just lie in the grass for the rest of her life. The female was trying to ease the pain in her throat and get some saliva flowing in her dry mouth. Aziya managed to get her bag off her shoulders and take out a bright green water bottle. Rolling onto her back, she pulled the cap open then took several deep gulps. Satisfied, she let herself fall back and resume taking in air._

_Aziya's sides took a good several minutes before the stiches in them started to ease. Above her, the men were already getting up. They had regained their breath. She was still panting. Seeing them get up, Aziya wearily reached for her water bottle and stuck it inside her cinch pack. It was struggle to push herself to her legs when they shook so badly from exhaustion. _And here I thought P.E. was hard. _Only a few gym classes had ever been that rigorous-but the workouts had never exhausted her this much._

_However, she got up and followed after the men. The woman had to practically jog to keep up with the men's fast walks and long strides. It was only a few minutes later that she let herself fall to her knees. Again she was out of breath, wheezing almost. The stitch in her side had returned. The four men stopped and looked back at her in concern._

_Esto turned to her. "You do not have much stamina, do you?" Esto asked her. Aziya just shook her head no. "You are not going to be able to keep up." He went straight up to Aziya and just scooped her up before she could protest. "I do not want you slowing us down."_

_Aziya had enough energy to roll her eyes in an irritated way, but was too tired to argue. Her breath even now was still recovering. In the short distance she could see a large, towering wall. She didn't care to get a better look._

_"We're only a few minutes away from the village now," Haddon informed._

_At this point, Aziya truly didn't care. _I just hope the poor guy's okay, _she thought, turning her head to look at Juno. _God, let him recover completely. I pray there aren't any side effects, _the brunette prayed yet again._

_Aziya added as an afterthought, _And please help _me_ to figure just what the heck happened today. _The day had been beyond crazy. _At least things can't get any crazier…_only until then did Aziya realize what she had thought._

Oh crap. I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

* * *

**Aziya (Az-ee-yah) First is pronouced like "as", second part rhymes with "bee."**

**Okay readers, you know the drill! Feel free to compliment, critique, or flame to your heart's content-and yes, I said flame, so long as you actually give me feedback. People sometimes just need to vent and I'm one of the few authors able to handle it, so go ahead. ^_^ **

**And now, a little extra info for you: no doubt you probably thought my characters thoughts a little odd because there were times she referenced to God-that is because like me, she is Christian. I'm not attempting to preach or throw people off-rather I thought it'd be interesting to see how she adjusts with her faith in a completely different world, especially since Legaia has a few of its own religions with Rem/Tieg and Biron. I'm not trying to scare you away, honest! And I hope it won't keep anyone from reading my future chapters! Thanks for reading! Au revoir!**


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